Race You To the Top
by K-9 Style
Summary: Reno and Tifa continue their battle to see who will come out on top as the best mercenary in the game. But things start to get complicated when they're hired to work on an important assignment... together. Final chapter up :D
1. The Hitchcock Assignment

A/N: Hello guys! Just a few things here before we begin... First of all, this is my first FF VII: Advent Children fic and I realize that the game and the movie are a very tough act to follow so I'm a _bit_ nervous as to how this fic will turn out, so bear with me!

So this fic features a Reno/Tifa pairing and a little Cloud/Tifa also. Some OOC... A/U...

Again, sorry if this totally sucks but I hope you will read and review anyway! Thanks :)

**Race You To the Top**

CHAPTER ONE: The Hitchcock Assignment

The young man sat at his kitchen table eating a solitary breakfast of fried steak and eggs. He sawed through the charred piece of meat and stabbed his fork through it. He dunked it deep into a glob of ketchup before popping it into his mouth. The small, black and white TV he'd found in the junkyard and ressurected was his only companion and right now the daily news was blaring about the same old stuff; ten car pile-up on the I 87 out of Midgar, armed robbery at Chaz's Liquors, a blizzard heading for the mountains. The usual.

He finished his breakfast and sat back in his chair, satisfied. He listened to the anchor man talking about how there had been a rash of gang wars in the slums. Interestingly enough, the gangs didn't refer to themselves as gangs. No, they were _rebels_. The anchor man introduced a member of the street team who was reporting from Midgar.

"Good morning, Kent." the street reporter said, "I'm Michael Standish and I'm reporting live from Midgar. I'm standing on Freemont Street where an apparent gang fight took place just last night, around 9:30." the camera shot a panoramic view of the filthy street that resembled an alley way, really.

"The fight broke out after the leader of one gang, known as the Night Stalkers, exchanged heated words with the leader of the other gang, known as the High Ballers." the reporter held up two mugshot photos. "The leaders of the respective gangs have now been identified as Merrick Hitchcock and Hanlon Porter. These two men are no stranger to crime or violence. Both possess a lengthy rap sheet and a familiarity with assault and battery and breaking and entering."

The young man was about to shut off the television when his pager went off loudly, vibrating against the wooden table. He picked it up and looked at the number. It was someone requesting a job, he gathered from the numbers that had been displayed on the screen. He had a code known by whoever needed his services. He required each prospective client to leave an untraceable phone number by which they could be reached and the code number 1114 immediately proceeding the telephone number.

Pulling out his cell phone, he turned the volume on the television all the way down. He punched in the number the client had left and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" a deep male voice spoke softly.

"You have a job for me?" the young man asked.

"Yes." the voice replied, "I need someone taken care of."

"Okay, here's how it works. You give me the name of the assignment and then we negotiate a price, okay?"

"The assignment's name is Merrick Hitchcock." the voice said.

_Merrick Hitchcock_. _Where have I heard that name before?_ The young man looked back towards his television. The anchor man was back and this time he had an insert beside him of the Midgar gang leaders' mugshots.

"The leader of-"

"The High Ballers."

"Yeah, that." the young man paused, "Okay. 150,00 gil."

The voice paused. "80,000."

"125."

"90."

"100 thou, take it or leave it."

"Fine. Drop off?"

"There's a mail box on 23rd and Cleveland. It's got a picture of a red unicorn on it. Leave the gil there, divided into 2 bags, 2:00."

"I want it done today. You have until midnight."

"Consider it done."

The voice sighed, exasperated. "You better be worth it."

"Trust me, I am."

On that final note, the young man flipped his cell phone shut.

Long ago, he'd once had a name that his mother had given him, but he'd long since left it behind. To the world he was now known as Reno. Simply as Reno, no last name was necessary. He immediately began his preparations for the job at hand. He stood up and went to his room and got onto his computer. He sent the phone number to his friend, Tseng, who ran traces for him to see if the clients were legit and not part of some undercover sting operation.

Tseng was at his home, sitting in front of his computer as usual, when a message box appeared. He'd received a message from Reno. It was a telephone number that he wanted a background check on. Tseng cracked his knuckles and pulled his long, black hair together at the nape of his neck and secured it with an elastic. He ran the number through the database and traced the cell number to a carrier known as Titan Atlantic.

"Time to work my magic." he said to himself. He put a headset on and adjusted the mic to be at his mouth.

"Titan Atlantic, may I help you?" a woman answered.

"Good morning, Miss. This is Ron Carlton from Charter Wireless calling, how are you today?"

"I'm well Mr. Carlton."

"Good to hear that! Well, I won't take up any more of your time with small talk. The reason for my call is that we have a customer here who is complaining that he is receiving two separate cell phone bills, one from us and one from you good people over there." Tseng leaned back in his swivel chair, "We believe that this customer may be a victim of identity theft, so we need to verify some information with you to make sure he is legit, okay?"

The Titan Atlantic teller paused. "Okay. What did you say the number was?"

"Oh, yes, it is 551341238 and the area code is 2301."

"Okay, let's see... Our records have the name Lex Hitchcock as the account holder's name."

"Okay, ours do as well."

"And, um, the address is 1852 Sentinel Drive in Midgar."

"Yes, we have this as well."

"Social security number on file is 087-23-0031."

"Great! Well, it seems as though we have the same client, Miss. Unfortunately he must have signed up for two separate contracts without realizing or remembering that he had!" Tseng laughed, "Thank you for your help!"

"You're welcome."

Tseng shut off his headset and typed the social security number of Lex Hitchcock into the Department of Social Security's database. Yes, it was government access only, but Tseng was an uber hacker... an incredibly sneaky one. He'd hacked into the entire governmental mainframe in two months and managed to evade the authorities with ease.

"Let's find out what you're all about, Lex." Tseng muttered as he pulled up the file on the client.

Lex Hitchcock was twenty-four years old and did in fact reside in Midgar. His parents were deceased, he'd had a divorce one year ago, he had a checking account at Lincoln National Bank, a savings account... He also had a brother. Merrick Hitchcock.

"Looks good, Reno." Tseng said, sending a message back to his friend.

Reno tapped his finger on his right mouse button while he waited for a response from Tseng. The message box popped up on his computer screen and he opened it. _Looks good, Reno_ the text read.

Reno smiled. He loved a good hit.

Tifa Lockheart loaded her sniper rifle in it's foam-lined case and snapped it shut with care. She almost always sniped on an assassination job. She liked it because it was quick, clean, and didn't require her to get close to the target. Plus, she was damn good at nailing those killer head shots. Just in case the target didn't offer her a good shot, she brought along her favorite K-bar and slid it into its sheath. She then strapped the knife to her ankle and covered it with her pant leg. Cutting people was almost as much fun as blowing their brains out.

She threw a black, wool sweater on over her white tank top and threw her straight, black hair up in a ponytail. She slipped black leather gloves onto her hands and finished doing up the laces on her black boots. She looked down at her naval watch and noticed that it was already 10:30 p.m. She had one hour and a half left to complete the job. It was more than enough time for her.

She put her nightvision goggles inside her pack and grabbed her rifle case before heading out the door. Midgar was hot and muggy during this summer season and she must have looked rather odd in a wool sweater and long pants, but she paid no mind to it. She had a job to do and the more she blended into the darkness of night, the more cover she had.

She had spent the earlier portion of the day mapping out the perimter and surrounding area of the target's last known location. She had even taken a few hours to shadow the target and learn some of his habits. According to her calculations, 10:45 would be an ideal time to take the target out. She stood in front of Saint Agnes' church and waited for a few pedestrians to pass her by. Almost noiselessly, she slipped inside the old, stone structure and began walking up the stairs to the belfry.

Saint Agnes' hadn't been used much lately. Every now and then, some faithful came to pray for their lives, but people mostly stayed away from this place in Midgar, especially at night. It wasn't the safest place in the slums. She immediately began assembling her rifle when she reached the top of the belfry. She screwed the night vision scope onto the top of the rifle and looked through it. Perfect.

She then screwed a silencer onto the barrel of the rifle and fired a test shot at an apple tree about 100 meters away. An apple fell from the branch and she smiled to herself. She was a hell of a shot, that was for sure. Suddenly, her watch began beeping. It was 10:45 already. Time to get serious.

Tifa looked through the scope, right through the kitchen window of the target's home. She saw him enter, right on schedule. He placed his coat and bag on the floor. She didn't have a great shot here, so she continued to watch and move her rifle so that the crosshair was always right on the target's forehead. The target went towards the living room. Great-she would be able to take him out there. The picture windows would give her the perfect view she needed to deliver the fatal headshot.

Without warning, the target turned and went back to his front door.

"What the hell?" she uttered to herself, confused.

Following the target through the scope, she watched him open the door. A familiar looking redhead stepped in and began to struggle with the target.

"Reno?!" she cried out, abandoning her scope and sprinting down the stairs as fast as she could.

That bumbling idiot was going to screw everything up! How could he expect to just walk through someone's front door and kill him and walk away? Didn't he know that things didn't work that way? Tifa's lungs were on fire when she reached the target's house. As usual, Reno was trying to take the target out with his little electric stick thingie.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" she shouted at him.

Reno looked up, shocked. The target lay at his feet, a gash on his forehead.

"What the hell are _you_ doing?" he yelled back, "This is _my_ assignment! Get lost!"

Tifa rolled her eyes. "I bet he's not even dead."

"Well, not _yet_." Reno said, retracting his electric rod. "I like to take it slow some times."

Tifa bent down and whipped her K-bar out of it's sheath. "I don't."

She advanced towards the target, who was beginning to regain consciousness.

"No!" Reno shouted, stepping in front of her, "C'mon, Tifa, this was _my_ target! You have no right to just barge in here!"

"You sound like such a baby, y'know?" she said, "You're supposed to be a cold-blooded killer! Start acting like one!"

Reno glared at her.

"And for your information, I was called by a legitimate client to handle this target for him."

"What?" Reno was incredulous, "_I_ was called by the client! It's my freakin' client, Tifa! He's paying me 100,000 gil!"

Tifa smirked. "Well, I'll be damned. It appears that we were both called by the same client and negotiated the same amount of gil to take out the same target. Guess the client wanted to see the best man, or in this case _woman_, win!"

Reno's eyes grew wide. "Tifa!"

"Ahhh!" she screamed, lunging toward the target with her knife in her hand.

The target came to just in time to avoid the stab from the twelve-inch jungle knife. He was to his feet right away as was Tifa. Reno whipped out his electric rod and accidentally smacked Tifa in the head with it.

"Dammit! Reno, you moron!" she kicked him.

"Ahh, quit cryin!" He lunged toward the target and clubbed him in the head.

The target took a few decent hits, but finally managed to grab a hold of Reno's wrist. He punched Reno in the stomach and followed up with a swift kick that sent him flying back.

Tifa smirked. "Let me show you how to get it done!" she shouted at Reno, charging towards the target with her knife in hand.

The target cried out when Tifa's knife made contact with his skin. She plunged it all the way into the target's side and he went down to his knees, blood trickling from the knife's hilt.

"Now we end this." she whispered.

The target, feeling the sudden burst of the willpower to live, jumped to his feet and drew the knife from his side. Blood poured from the gash, but he ignored it and charged towards Tifa with a triumphant cry.

Tifa, surprised at the target's resilience, tried to dodge the knife but felt the cool sting of the steel as it slashed through the flesh of her arm. She grabbed the wound and tried to regain her composure, but the target slashed again and almost opened up her stomach. If she hadn't jumped back, she was sure her intestines would be lying in a pile on the floor.

"Damn you, Reno!" she said to her competition, "You ruined everything by showing up here! I _never_ allow the target to get a hold of my K-bar!" her eyes were wild with anger.

"Oh, shut up and kill the guy!" Reno said, turning to the target. "Women. They try to blame everything on us!"

"Argh!" Tifa cried. She furiously tackled the target to the ground and wrestled the knife from his hand.

She somersaulted over to the door and got to her feet. She froze. The target had somehow gotten a gun and was pointing straight at her. She breathed heavily; her hair fell in front of her face. She stole a quick glance over at Reno. When he tried to make a move, the target brought the gun towards him.

"So... someone put a hit out on me, huh?" the target asked, "Let me guess... Lex?"

Reno and Tifa nodded.

The target, otherwise known as Merrick Hitchcock, began laughing scornfully. "Well I guess he should've sent more than you two idiots to do the job. Lex... always looking for what's cheapest."

"Hey!" Reno growled, "I resent that!"

"Not as much as I do." Tifa insisted.

"Doesn't matter anyway." Merrick said, "You two won't be able to get your money since I'll be sending you both to hell!"

The first bullet went off. Tifa dove to the right and rolled behind a desk. Merrick continued shooting at her. Reno, siezing the few seconds he had, whipped his electric rod out and slammed it into Merrick's arm. The gun clattered to the ground and Reno kicked it towards Tifa.

Tifa saw the gun sliding past her and she scrambled to grab it. She wheeled around and shot Merrick in the knee cap. He went down with a cry.

Before Tifa got to fire a second shot, Reno whacked Merrick again with his rod, this time it made contact with the base of his skull. Merrick's eyes widened in shock. Reno and Tifa watched silently as the target's pupils dilated completely, engulfing the blue of his eyes with black.

Merrick shuddered once more before Tifa fired her second shot to his chest. He fell to the ground and moved no more. His blood had already began to pool around his corpse.

Tifa stood up and limped over to the body. She tossed the now empty gun on top of him and spit. "That's for calling me _cheap_." she quipped.

Reno smirked. "Yeah, baby! Who's cheap now? Huh?" he pumped his fist in the air after withdrawing his electric rod. "I did good, huh?"

Tifa snorted. "You?" she wiped the blood from her K-bar onto one of Reno's coat tails, "It was all me, man. You just got in the way."

Reno made a face when he saw what she'd done to his coat. "You bitch!" he cursed, "I _just_ had this dry cleaned."

"Get over it!" she hissed.

"On second thought," he began to walk towards the door, "I'll just buy a new one with some of the 100,000 gil I got from eliminating the target!" he nudged the corpse again with the toe of his shoe.

"You really _are_ a moron, you know?" she reeled on him, "First, you come all up in the target's house-through the front door, no less-and ruin a perfect head shot! Then you freakin' cause me to lose my K-bar to the target. Then you almost get me _killed_!" she threw her arms up, "And to top it all off, you wanna take credit for _my_ kill? I should kill _you_, Reno! But it wouldn't be worth it because your life is worth _shit_!"

Reno was about to respond when the sound of sirens broke through the air. He glanced out the window and saw the telltale flashing lights of approaching police cars. He looked back to where Tifa had been standing, but she was already gone.

"Dammit." he said to himself, and took his leave out the back door and slinking through the shadows.

When he reached his apartment again, he immediately stripped and went to take a shower. The bruises and wounds he'd sustained in the struggle at the target's house welcomed the warm water as it flowed over his flesh. He winced a little. The water at his feet had been stained red with blood.

How was he supposed to pull off a successful job with that damn bitch Tifa Lockheart in his way? This wasn't the first time they'd encountered one another while on a job. He wasn't sure if she was being hired to eliminate targets legitimately, or if she was simply listening in on his phone line and stealing his jobs.

He frowned. He wasn't going to let her beat him. He was going to be the best mercenary out there and he'd be damned if he lost the top spot to a rude little witch like Tifa Lockheart!

Meanwhile, back at Tifa's apartment...

Tifa had just finished showering and brushing her teeth before changing into her pajamas and sliding into bed. She had dressed the wound on her arm-it had required seven stitches-and had taken a shower to help ease the muscular discomfort.

As she lay in the darkness, her mind reeled from the chaotic events of the Hitchcock assignment. How the hell could the client have hired a moron like Reno to kill his brother? She almost laughed at the thought of Reno pulling out his damn electric rod.

She was convinced that he was listening in on her calls and following her to the targets' locations and making a piss poor attempt to steal her kills! Well, she was the best mercenary out there and she would die before she let a complete idiot like Reno take that from her!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Still a work in progress! Review?? Pretty please?


	2. Moonlighting

CHAPTER TWO: Moonlighting

During the day, Reno made a living as a manager at a car wash in central Midgar. It definitely didn't bring home as much bacon as the whole mercenary gig, but he enjoyed waxing down a classic or two. Ever since he'd been a child he could remember being obsessed with cars.

He worked with a guy named Rude. Rude was the only civilian he trusted, besides Tseng, with his mercenary identity. Rude was extremely interested in the business and probably had the stuff he needed to be successful, but Reno wasn't sure he was ready just yet.

"So, tell me." Rude said one day during lunch hour, "That Midgar gang leader thing... News says it was a professional hit. Was it you?"

Reno smirked without making eye contact. "You know I don't kill and tell."

Rude slammed his fist down on the table and laughed. "I _knew_ it! It _was_ you! I can just tell. Damn, man. You must make a lot of gil with a gig like that on the side."

"Maybe." he shrugged.

"_Maybe_." Rude mimicked him, "I need the money, Reno, and you _know_ I can do this job! Why the hell won't you help me get in?"

"Because it doesn't work that way, my friend." Reno explained, "Mercenaries are solitary beings, meaning they work alone. We don't report to a boss."

"So? How did you get started?"

"I used to live down the hall from a cleaner. A hitman." Reno said, "Strictly assassinations, nothing else. He turned me on to the whole idea. He even trained me."

"Nice!"

"Yeah, until he got whacked on a job. Then I was on my own." Reno shook his head, "I started dropping my name around the seediest places in town, y'know, where all the people go looking for good hitmen. Thus... Reno, the top mercenary, was born."

"You _really_ the _top_?"

"Damn right!" Reno said proudly.

Meanwhile, at the Green Dragon Tavern...

Tifa Lockheart was a part time bartender by day. She had been a bartender before she was ever a mercenary. About four years ago, a guy had come into the bar and had confided in her about his work. He said he was about to go do a very important job for a very important client.

When she asked him what it was, he said he was a cleaner and he was supposed to take someone out. It was on that day that she became interested in the job. The guy said that he was training some kid to do what he did and that it might be good to have someone take his place when he was gone. He claimed to be top mercenary in the league.

Tifa insisted that he train her as well. He had done so every week until the day he'd gotten whacked on the job. But Tifa had continued along the path she had begun to walk on with _that_ guy's guidance. And thus, Tifa Lockheart, top mercenary, was born.

Now here she was, in the Green Dragon Tavern. It was about to open-opening time was 4:00-and she had begun clean the glass mugs in anticipation for the post workday rush. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. 3:30. She took a rag and wiped the inside of a mug. She placed it on the shelf with the rest of them.

"Tifa?"

Tifa turned to see her coworker, and sometimes lover, Cloud Strife looking at her curiously.

"Hey, Cloud. How are you?"

"Okay." he replied, "What happened to your arm?"

She looked at her arm. "Oh, this? I, uh, got stuck on a loose wire of my fence."

"Looks pretty deep." he inspected her wound without touching it, "Did you go to the hospital?"

"Nope."

"So you did these stitches by yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. It's not too much unlike sewing."

Cloud nodded and stepped towards her. He positioned himself behind her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I want to see you tonight."

She felt her hair standing on end and her skin became riddled with goosebumps.

"I can't." she said softly, wanting to hear him beg.

"Tifa..." he squeezed her flesh. "Don't make me beg."

"But you sound so cute when you do." She smirked.

He whirled her around so that she was facing him. His blue eyes were intense and she knew playtime was over.

"I want to see you!" he hissed.

"Okay, okay!" she rolled her eyes, "God, you have _no_ sense of humor."

He began to walk away from her, but before he left he turned. "My place after work?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." she replied coldly.

"That's my girl." he said, taking his leave then.

Earlier, at the carwash...

Reno whistled as he drank in the sight of the classic red Mustang that sat in front of him. He'd just finished waxing that baby down and he was damn proud of his work. Reno would never call what he did merely detailing... What he did was _art_.

Rude joined him in the lot and lowered his sunglasses to get a good look at the vehicle. "Nice job, boss." he said, slapping Reno on the back.

"I know." he said smugly, "If only I had a ride like this..."

Rude nodded in agreement. "If I'd had a ride like this in high school, I'd have had all the chicks going gaga over me!"

"Really? Weren't you a ladies man in high school, Rude?" Reno looked at his friend.

"Well, uh, I would say _that_..." Rude cleared his throat.

Reno chuckled. "It would take a lot more than a killer set of wheels to get you a girl, Rude."

The taller, bald man gave Reno a look that seemed to say _I could kick your ass in a heartbeat if you weren't my boss_. Reno only laughed. He loved being the boss! It was funny that to the blind eye he looked like just a lowly car wash manager. Who would've guessed that he was moonlighting as a mercenary?

After Rude had gone back inside the garage, Reno checked his pager to see if any clients had been seeking his services. But he had zero pages and zero messages on his voicemail. Major bummer. Tonight was going to be a long, boring, and lonely night.

"Hey, Rude!" Reno entered the garage and addressed his friend.

"What's up?" The bald man said, still wearing his shades.

"What's the matter? Too bright in here for you?"

Rude only gave Reno a look.

"Okay..." Reno continued. The sunglasses issue was a lost cause. Rude _always_ wore sunglasses. Even at night. "Do you wanna go to the bar or something tonight after work?"

"Sure thing, boss." Rude said with a crooked smile, "How about the Green Dragon Tavern?"

"Where the hell is that?" Reno asked, cocking a brow.

"It's in Midgar, right outside the slums."

"Whatever! I just wanna do something other than sit at home by myself all night."

"What's wrong, boss? Don't have a girlfriend?"

"Nah, too much of a hassle."

Later, at the Green Dragon Tavern...

Reno and Rude left work and headed straight for the bar without bothering to change. The rush had just begun; all the hard-working men and women of Midgar had come looking for a good drink and a basket of hot wings. The bald man sitll refused to take off his shades even though the sun's rays were hardly strong enough to merit the use of protective eyewear. Reno and his friend were both dressed in the faded blue jumpsuits that was the job's required uniform. A pair of tinted goggles were perched on Reno's head.

"I need a cold one." he said to his friend, taking a seat at the bar.

"Yeah? I need about half a dozen." Rude said, chuckling.

A shapely girl with jet black hair was standing at the bar, but she was facing the rear and the shelves that held all the frosty mugs.

"It'd be nice if we got some service!" Rude said, making a face.

"You can say that again." Reno leaned forward on the bar stool. "Hey, sweetie!" he called to the girl, "Could we get a couple of frosty ones over here?"

The woman turned around with her hand planted firmly on her hip. If there was one thing she hated, it was some pig calling her 'sweetie'.

"Oh... my... God..." she said, her jaw dropped.

"_You?!_" Reno said, choking in disbelief. "What the _hell_ are _you_ doing here?"

The busty babe behind the bar turned out to be none other than Tifa Lockheart.

"_I _happen to work here!" she said, glowering at him, "Part time."

"Wait..." Rude looked perplexed, "You two know each other? Thought you said you'd never been to the Green Dragon."

Reno shook his head, his eyes never leaving Tifa's. "Nah, I haven't been here before."

Tifa rolled her eyes and looked over at Rude. "So why'd you have to bring him here, huh?"

Rude looked innocent. "I-I just thought, you know, maybe he'd like a drink after work."

Tifa looked at the name tag and emblem embroidered on the breast pocket of Reno's jumpsuit and scoffed. "A freakin' car wash? _That's_ your day job?"

"For your information," Reno said, pointing a finger at her, "I am the _manager_."

She laughed bitterly. "Well... Isn't _that_ an achievement!"

Just then, Cloud walked up to Tifa and interrupted their conversation.

"Is everything all right here, Tifa?" he eyed Reno and Rude suspiciously.

Tifa nodded. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Hm." Cloud nodded without looking at Tifa. "Then I suggest you _handle_ it." he said condescendingly.

Tifa felt her cheeks grown warm with embarrassment.

"Well!" Reno said with a laugh, "At least _I_ give the orders at _my_ day job."

"What the hell can I get for you?" Tifa asked with a forced smile.

"Get us two Sam Adams!" Reno snapped, "And make sure the mugs are extra frosty, wouldja babe?"

Tifa muttered something under her breath, but turned to fetch the beers for Reno and his friend.

"Dude," Rude nudged his friend with his elbow, "How do you know this chick?"

"Oh," Reno shrugged, "We have, um, mutual interests outside of work."

"Sounds kinky."

"Really? Well, it's not supposed to."

"Heh, sure." Rude winked at him over the rims of his sunglasses.

Tifa poured some Sam Adams brew into a couple of frosty mugs and returned to the men to give them their drinks. She had to seriously suppress the urge to hock a big lugie inside Reno's beverage because she knew that somewhere, Cloud was keeping a close eye on her.

Cloud wasn't exactly her boss, but he _was_ her superior. He was the shift supervisor and the owner's best friend. And, to be quite frank, he was a complete asshole to her, but for some strange reason she found him completely irresistable. The worst thing about all that was that Cloud was all to aware of Tifa's willingness to please him. To put it simply, he had her dangling from his little finger.

No matter how many times she'd wanted a committment from him, he would _never_ give in. She'd told herself that if Cloud ever decided to take it serious with her and settle down, then she'd leave the mercenary gig behind and turn her whole life around.

But so far... nothing.

"Here you go, fellas." Tifa said with that plastic smile on her face again.

Reno winked at her. "Thanks, toots."

"Thank you." Rude said, placing some gil on the table to cover the cost of the drinks and a tip for the lady.

"No, thank _you_." Tifa insisted, raising her eyebrows.

Reno raised the mug to his lips and gave Tifa a suspicious look. "Wait a minute... You didn't spit in this, did you?"

"Nah." Tifa shrugged, "I wanted to, though."

Rude laughed.

"Well, thanks for being so considerate." Reno said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Yeah, sure." Tifa rolled her eyes and turned back to her other customers, "Whatever."

"You know," Rude began, glancing sideways at Tifa, "She's kinda cute."

Reno snorted. "Don't make me vomit."

Later, at Cloud's place...

Tifa rolled over in the bed so that her bare back was against the mattress. She looked up at the ceiling fan that whirred around noisily. How anyone could sleep through all that racket was beyond her. She looked to her right where Cloud was sleeping soundly beside her, on his stomach.

She wanted to be happy to be with him, but all she felt was emptiness. Of course, being with Cloud meant more to her than just having fun and fooling around... but she was sure that it was nothing more than that to him. She felt a sour taste in her mouth and it forced her out of the bed to get a glass of water to wash it down.

Tifa pulled on her panties and tank top and went into Cloud's kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it halfway to the top with tap water. She chugged it down fast and set the glass down on the counter. For a while, she stood looking down into the empty glass; both of her hands were pressed against the counter top and her arms were supporting a good portion of her weight.

_Why do you keep letting him use you like this?_

Just then, her beeper went off in the bedroom. It startled her so much that when she whirled around, her hand knocked the glass off of the counter top and onto the floor where it smashed to bits.

"Dammit!" she said, abandoning the glass and running to retrieve her beeper.

The display on the LCD was a telephone number that she didn't recognize. It was a client, probably, since no one other than prospective clients would beep her. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked back over at Cloud. Apparently, the beeper hadn't disturbed him because he was still sound asleep as ever.

"If only you weren't so damn stubborn." she whispered to herself before returning to the kitchen to clean her mess.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry if this fic doesn't follow any facts from the original(s)...


	3. Young

CHAPTER THREE: Young

**December 15, 2003: Four Years Ago**

The bartender at Kosmo's Grille and Tap had been eying the young girl at the end of the bar all night. She had snuck a few glances at him out of the corner of her brown eyes, but hadn't made any direct contact. It was a weeknight so the bar was only filled with a handful of people who were mostly keeping to themselves.

A few couples were dancing out on the parque dance floor while the jukebox played a quiet jazzy love song. A few multi colored lights were hanging above them in a pattern of red, blue, green and gold. Almost half of them were burnt out, however.

The young girl took a quick look down to the other end of the bar. The people who were sitting on the stools were talking quietly to one another. A woman's laughter rang out suddenly, a sharp stacatto standing out among the monotony of the voices.

A guy sitting at the other end of the bar caught her attention. His red hair was touseled and he had a small amount of hair pulled into a rat tail at the nape of his neck. The collar of his white dress shirt was flipped upward and touching the outline of his jaw. He looked a little unkempt without his shirt tucked in, but the look seemed to work for him.

Suddenly, he looked up at her. His eyes were green and the gold flecks around his pupils caught the light almost sparkling. She looked away shyly. She hadn't met to catch anyone's attention. She kept her eyes locked on the polished oak of the bar table.

"Excuse me, miss?"

She looked up into the eyes of the bartender.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"Can I see some ID?"

"Oh, uh, I'm not old enough to drink." she admitted.

The bartender looked a little miffed. "Minors aren't permitted to sit at the bar." he gestured with his hand to the lounge area. "You can sit over there in the lounge."

The girl stood up and apologized. From across the bar, the young man looked over at her with an amused grin. He watched as she brushed off the front of her black dress pants. She looked really professional, yet casual. She was wearing a black, pin-striped dress shirt that fit her slim, average build in a way that perfectly outlined her curves. She sat at one of the small round tables in the lounge.

He thought for a moment, tapping the ring on his finger against the table. Then he stood up, mustering all his confidence, and went over to the lounge table. He cleared his throat and the girl looked up at him curiously.

"Hey." he said, "Anyone sitting here?"

She looked around. "Does it look like anyone is?"

He laughed nervously. "Stupid question, I guess. Mind if I sit with you?"

She paused before reluctantly allowing him to sit in the seat across the table from her.

After a brief and awkward silence, the young man held his hand out to her politely and said "Reno."

She could tell he was waiting for her to take his outstretched hand. "Tifa." she shook his hand reluctantly.

"So, Tifa, I'm wondering something." he said, the corner of his mouth played up a little.

"What's that?" she cocked a brow.

"What's a girl like you doing in, well, a place like this?" he looked around purposefully.

She laughed a little. "I could tell you... but then I'd have to kill you."

Reno chuckled. "The reason I'm asking is because you look a little young to be drinking."

"Which is why I was kicked off the bar and put in the lounge."

A waitress in a white tank top with a black bra underneath and a denim micro mini skirt sauntered over to their table and planted a hand on her hip. She was wearing a pair of tan cowboy boots with fringe hanging off the tops of them. Her cheap hoop earrings were big enough for Tifa to fit her fist through and the black roots in her fried blonde hair were about two inches long.

"Can I help you two?" she asked, chewing noisily on her bubble gum.

Tifa was about to say no when Reno cut in.

"Yeah, two Cokes please."

"That it?" the waitress asked.

"That's it." Reno said.

"Comin' up."

Tifa waited for the waitress to leave before speaking again.

"So you wanna order my food for me too?" she asked him.

"Didn't mean to offend you." Reno said apologetically, "Besides... It's on me."

"Hm. Thanks." she said.

The pair didn't talk again until the waitress returned with their drinks. Tifa asked the girl if she could get her a slice of lemon. The bottled blonde rolled here eyes and went to fill Tifa's request.

"So I never asked you..." Tifa took a sip of her beverage, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, uh, just meeting someone." Reno replied.

"Funny. Me, too." Tifa looked around, "But it doesn't look like he's gonna show up."

Just then, a man in a leather jacket and black jeans approached their table. His hair was jet black and slicked back around his ears with a generous amount of gel. His eyes were an icy blue, almost gray color. He held a slice of lemon in his hand.

"For the lady." he said, his voice cool and breezy.

"Thanks." Tifa took the lemon with some hesitation.

The man looked at Reno from his head to his toes. "My name is Israel." he said, offering his hand for Reno to shake it.

"Reno." the redhead gave Israel's hand a good shake.

"You can call me Izzy." he turned to Tifa and took her hand in his. His smile was almost reptilian as his lips gently kissed the pale flesh of her knuckles.

"Tifa." she said, withdrawing her hand.

"So..." Israel pulled an extra chair up to the table and positioned it between Reno and Tifa's seats. "I'm glad you guys could make it here. I've been watching you both since you came in, making sure you were legit."

"What are you talking about?" Reno looked confused.

Israel smirked. "You were here to meet someone, right? About a job?"

This time, Reno looked at Tifa. She was already looking back at him. They both appeared perplexed.

"Oh... You guys don't know each other?" Israel pointed to them, amused. "The way you two were sitting here, you know, I thought you knew each other from a long time ago."

"No..." Tifa shook her head, "What the hell is going on?"

"How about some answers, buddy?" Reno asked.

"Okay, cool your jets! I'm gettin' to it!" Israel smiled, "We need someone to do some errands for us. Someone professional and knowledgeable. Someone who has some experience."

"Wait a sec." Reno looked at Tifa, his eyes wide. "You? You're a..."

"You guys are both mercs, right?" Israel asked.

Tifa nodded.

"I never would have guessed." Reno muttered.

Israel turned to Tifa. "So, um, we ran your background checks. You, Tifa, you are 18?"

She nodded.

"And you, Reno, are twenty?"

"Yeah." he replied.

"Okay, and you've done a couple of jobs for some of our friends down at the docks of Costa Del Sol, yes?" Israel looked at Reno, intrigued.

"Yeah. I've been doing jobs since I was about her age." Reno nodded at Tifa.

Israel looked at Tifa. "So, Tifa, what jobs have you done?"

"I, um, this would be my first real job." she said sheepishly, "I used to go along on jobs so I have a pretty good feel for what is needed. I know what to expect."

Israel nodded. "Great. Good." he turned his back to her and addressed Reno again, "So we're offering you a job, kid. You get paid different fees upon completion, sound good?"

Reno nodded. "When do I start?"

"You start when I give you a call." Israel handed Reno a disposable cell phone. "This phone will ring and you'll get more instructions, got it?"

"I got it." Reno tucked the cell phone away in his jacket pocket.

"Great." Israel shook Reno's hand again and stood up. "Congrats, kid. And good luck."

"Hey!" Tifa stood up, indignant, "That's it?"

"Whaddya mean, sweet heart?" Israel asked innocently.

"I am just as good as this kid!" Tifa pointed at Reno without looking at him, "Probably even better and you're just gonna send me home with a 'thank you for coming'?"

"I am standing _right_ here!" Reno said in a sing-song voice. He was ignored.

Israel laughed at Tifa and shrugged his shoulders. "Listen to me, beautiful." he began, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "You got looks, class, a bangin' body... Why do you wanna be a merc, huh? Why don't you go find a job as a model or, or a cage dancer or something?"

Tifa shoved his arm off of her shoulders. "Don't you dare talk to me like I'm some kind of bimbo! Anything you could do, I could do! This is a load of bullshit!"

Israel's expression hardened. "Then how about this? You're too damn young and you're a woman! The boss said specifically _no_ women! Hell, you're barely a woman! One year ago, you were still a little girl!"

"This is wrong." Tifa said, biting back tears.

Reno sat at the table silently. He watched as Israel turned and took his leave. Tifa was still standing and clenching her fists at her sides. He swallowed and got up from the table. He planted his hand on her shoulder and felt her muscles tense in response.

"Hey... I'm sorry..." he said softly.

"Sorry?" she echoed, turning slowly, "You're _sorry_?"

"Y-yeah..." he looked at her curiously, "Is that a-a bad thing?"

"You're not freakin' sorry!" She shouted, startling him. "You just _stole _a job from me!"

"Stole?" Reno was incredulous, "Um, I believe I was here first."

Tifa put her finger in Reno's face. "Don't give me that! You couldn't wait to take this job from me just because I'm a woman, right?"

"No!" he insisted, "Never! Where would you get an idea like that?"

She laughed scornfully. A few of the patrons of the bar looked at her.

"Buying me a drink and making small talk..." she made a face, "It was all just your way of making me think that you were a nice guy! What did you do? Did you find out that I was looking for a job and follow me here because you couldn't stand losing a job to a woman? Answer me!"

Reno winced when Tifa raised her hands and pushed his chest hard. He took a step back to regain his balance.

"You're being a little paranoid, don't you think?" he rubbed his chest.

"You win this time." she said quietly, "But if you think I'm gonna give up with this, you are wrong. I'll show you that this little woman can do twice the job that _you_ can!"

Reno watched in disbelief as she stormed out of the bar angrily. He looked around at some of the patrons who were still watching him intently. His cheeks burned as he delved through his pockets for some gil to pay for the drinks he'd bought. He even left a small tip for the waitress. He exited the bar the same way Tifa had but she was nowhere in sight.

The street was crowded with people who were leaving work late and doing some last-minute holiday shopping. Christmas was a little more than a week away. A woman dressed in a red apron stood beside the entrance to the supermarket across the street. She was ringing a bell and people who were passing by dropped spare gil into the bucket she had beside her.

Reno sighed and began the walk back to his home, leaving the tinkling of the bell and the rush of the crowd behind him. He trudged down the dark alley beside the bar and cut through the public park. A few young kids were playing on the jungle gym and a group of teenagers were shooting some hoops in the basketball court.

He thought back to the events at the bar and frowned. He couldn't believe that Tifa really thought he'd been trying to steal the job from her. She was damned paranoid and she had a little attitude also. It was too bad because she was cute.

When Reno finally arrived at his apartment building, the first thing on his mind was sleeping. He ascended the creaking old staircase to the fifth floor of the rickety old building. His apartment was the last one down the hall beside the fire exit. He slid the rusty old key into the lock and turned it.

The door heaved open with a sigh and Reno let himself in. The apartment was so cold that his breath was visible as a puff of white steam in the air. The damn landlord was never going to fix the heat. Reno flipped the light on and went into the closet in his parlor. He pulled out a space heater and plugged it in, turning the dial up to maximum.

After eating a microwavable slice of cheese pizza, Reno unplugged his space heater and moved it into his bedroom. He plugged it in again and positioned it beside the bed. He then undressed and went to bed, pulling the thick sheets up around his shoulders.


	4. Strangers In the Night

CHAPTER FOUR: Strangers In the Night

**January 12, 2004**

Reno was on an assignment for Israel's boss again tonight. He had already made a decent amount of gil doing jobs for them. He had mostly done discreet deliveries of packages filled with unknown contents. Part of Reno's contract included him not knowing what was inside the packages. He figured that this was because they were highly illegal and extremely valuable. Part of the job required Reno to never ask questions.

And he never did. He never stopped to think about why someone would want their spouse/business partner/brother dead or what was in the suitcase or what did renowned Armenian mob boss Johnny Fabian store in his giant metal crates? Reno was on a need-to-know basis and most things... he didn't need to know.

This time, he was supposed to deliver a silver suitcase to Juno Nakagawa who had ties to several Japanese criminals. She wanted to meet Reno at dock number 39 in Costa Del Sol to make the exchange. As usual, Reno wasn't permitted to know what the contents of the case were.

Reno arrived early, as he usually did, and leaned against one of the coerrgated metal crates that were near the dock houses. He held the suitcase in his hand and his electro-mag rod in the other. He glanced at the clock display on his cell phone and sighed. He wished he hadn't arrived so early because waiting was so boring.

He was about to call Izzy when he heard a scuffling sound behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked to his left and then to his right. The dock was dimly lit and rainbow pools of oil and dirty water caught the light and cast distracting reflections all around the blacktop.

Reno's grip tightened around his electro-mag rod and he slowly drew it out to its full length. The hum of electricity filled the air. He took a few steps between two giant crates and snuck over to the rear of the left hand crate. He looked behind the crate. No one was there. He looked to the right hand crate. No one.

Reno smirked and retracted his rod, loosening up a bit. It was probably just an animal or something scrounging through the dumpsters and he was just freaking himself out. He abandonded his pursuit and returned to where he'd been standing earlier.

A dark figure stood just outside the circle of light that came from the lightpost beside the dock house. Reno couldn't see a face and he figured that the figure was wearing a black ski mask. Instinctively he withdrew his rod and placed the case on the ground.

"Trust me, man." he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering, "You don't want none of this."

The figure said nothing but instead motioned with his hands for Reno to 'bring it on'. Reno growled and lunged forward to attack the figure. Instead of defending himself, the figure stepped to the side to dodge the redhead's attack. Reno fell to the blacktop, his limbs sprawled out in all directions.

He rolled over onto his back where the figure loomed above him. It was then that he realized that the person who was wearing the mask could've very well been a woman. Or a very short man.

"Huh?" Reno looked confused as the figure reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

He was literally shocked when the _something_ the figure held in his hand was a tazer gun. He felt the clips biting into his flesh as the shock raced throughout his nervous system. He tried to hold onto his rod, but his hand loosened around the handle and it clattered to the ground.

He tried to move, but his legs wouldn't work. He breathed heavily and tried to speak but all that came out of his mouth was strange noises. He watched the figure move over him. The figure raised his-or her-hand and brought it down hard on Reno's hand, knocking him unconscious with a few brutal punches.

Reno awoke with his head pounding and the taste of blood in his mouth. His muscles were tense and his legs still felt like rubber. He wearily pulled himself to his feet and blinked continuously to try and clear his blurred vision. He had to grab one of the nearby crates to support himself. He looked down at the floor and picked up his rod.

"Ugh." he held a hand to his forehead and hobbled over to the dock house. He looked at his reflection in one of the windows and grimaced. "Oh, man." He had a huge bruise on his right cheek, a gash on his eyebrow, and a split lip.

The case! He thought in a panic. He turned to where he remembered putting the case on the ground. It wasn't there.

"Dammit!" Reno kicked the crate in anger.

He'd screwed up and whoever had stolen the case had made off with whatever had been inside the case. Reno felt his heart race at the thought of the consequences of this loss.

Juno Nakagawa was a tall, statuesque woman with long, jet black hair and gorgeous eyes. Her skin was fair and her movements graceful. She was probably about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. Tifa admired her appearance from behind the cloth of the ski mask.

After she'd put a hurting on Reno and stolen the case, which was full of pure cocaine, she'd stolen his cell phone and had made a call to Izzy. Naturally, he was surprised to hear _her_ voice instead of Reno's, but when she explained that _she_ now had the case and its contents, Izzy was compelled to comply.

She'd instructed Izzy to call Miss Nakagawa and ask her to come to dock 50 instead. She chose this dock because it was the most poorly lit dock and it was closest to the forest area beside it and offered a lot of cover for her to flee, if need be.

Juno and her henchmen pulled up to the dock in a little speedboat. The beautiful Japanese woman looked at Tifa condescendingly and instructed her to take off her mask. Tifa obliged and pulled the mask from her face, shaking her soft hair loose around her shoulders.

Juno's henchmen stifled their surprised gasps. Juno, however, looked incredibly amused.

"Wonderful." she said, a hint of an accent on her voice, "A woman has recovered the stolen goods?"

Tifa nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"This is truly impressive." Juno said, admiring Tifa obviously. "The case?"

Tifa handed Juno the case and waited for the woman to look through its contents. She smiled to herself, then closed the case.

"Good. Then we're done here." Juno stepped back into her boat, helped down by one of her men.

Another man approached Tifa and handed her a black case. Instinctively, Tifa opened the case and was pleased to see the gil inside. The man nodded at her and went back into the boat. Tifa didn't make a move until after the boat had left. Then she turned and was surprised by Izzy, who was standing in the light from a nearby lamp post.

"I'm impressed!" he said, smirking, "And here I was prejudging you."

Tifa smiled triumphantly. "See? I told you I could do this."

"Well, I can see that." Izzy grinned, "Still interested in a job?"

"Still think I'm a helpless little woman?"

"Darlin', you don't wanna know what I think."

"I'll take it. What about the kid?" she asked.

"Don't worry about him. He'll be taken care of."

"I don't want him hurt, though." Tifa said, her tone and expression softening.

"Ain't that sweet?"

"Seriously! I want to see the look on his face when he sees who he lost his job to."

Izzy laughed heartily. "You are a vindictive little witch, ain't ya?"

"You have no idea." Tifa lowered her voice.

"All right, sweet heart." Izzy pulled out his cell phone, "We'll let your little friend off easy this time."

Tifa smiled and handed the man the case full of gil. "Just tell me where to pick up my fee."

Reno stormed home, anger burning in his veins. He was still limping and his head still felt like it was going to explode. He'd just come from a meeting with Izzy. He'd been fired. When he tried to argue his way out of the situation, Izzy told him that he was lucky that he was still alive. Then he'd left.

Reno was now walking home in the middle of the night with the torrential rain pouring down on him. He'd lost his steady job, he'd had the crap beaten out of him, and to top it all off he hadn't receive payment for his pain and suffering. His foot plunged into a puddle of ice cold water, soaking half of his leg.

"Dammit!" He cried out in futility. He was right outside of his apartment building.

He searched through his pockets for his keys and cursed under his breath when he couldn't find them. The thief who'd assaulted him at the docks must have taken it from him.

"Looking for something?" a smooth, feminine voice alerted him to a presence other than his own.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Tifa, who was standing underneath the awning above the front door of the apartment building.

"Oh... nothing. Waiting for you." she looked smug.

He gave her a curious look. "And how did you find out where I live?"

"You're not a hard guy to follow." she said, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

"Well, you look happy."

"I know. I am."

"Great." Reno finally located his keys right in his back pocket.

Tifa waited until he had unlocked the door and slipped inside before him. He checked his mailbox where all that were waiting for him was bills bills and more bills. He kept glancing over his shoulder to check if Tifa was still behind him. She was.

"Do you need something, or...?" he asked suggestively.

"Nah. Just wanna talk. Got time?"

"I guess." he stepped into the stairwell which was lit up brighter than the hallway was.

"Jesus!" Tifa exclaime as they ascended the stairs together.

"What?" he asked, his body aching as he climbed to the fifth floor.

"You look like you got your ass totally kicked. Did you get mugged?"

Reno paused. "You might say that."

Their footsteps echoed in the tiny stairwell as they reached their destination. Reno stuck the key in his door and swung it open. He allowed Tifa inside first and shut the door behind them once he was safely inside.

Tifa took a look around. The apartment was small and cold, freezing cold actually. There was a small kitchen and a pantry that was stocked with instant dinners and snack crackers and a couple of cans of oatmeal. An old gray table with uneven legs was in the center of the room. The legs had been evened out with folded newspaper articles. Two chairs that matched the table were on separate sides of the table. The floor was of cheap, faded linoleum that was peeling in one corner and revealing the old, rotting wood beneath it.

She wrinkled her nose as the smell of rotting garbage wafted around her. Three large windows were on the opposite side of the apartment offering a view of another crappy building from the apartment's parlor. The furniture matched, but it was ugly as hell. The upholstry was rust colored and the legs of each chair were antique-looking and ornate. A couch was propped up against the wall beside the door. The walls were an olive green color and the ceiling was peeling white.

In the distance she could see three doorways that were all open. It was too dark to see what was inside, but she assumed one of them was where Reno's bedroom was. She watched him pacing a little in front of the doorway to the kitchen. He looked at her like he was waiting for her to say something.

"You want a drink?" he asked, trying to break the silence that had settled over them.

"Nah. I won't be staying that long." she replied quickly.

"Um, okay." he frowned, "So what are you doing here, Tifa?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your work tonight." She said, walking into the kitchen and leaning against one of the counters.

Reno shook his wet hair out, wincing at the pain in his face. "Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"I mean the bang-up job you did delivering the package to Juno Nakagawa." Tifa laughed, "I couldn't have asked for more from you."

"Okay, you lost me."

"Because of you, Reno old friend, I now have a good paying job!" she sighed, "You may remember this guy... Izzy? Well, he hired me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he hired me to replace your sorry ass! You botched that delivery so bad they couldn't risk letting you screw up again."

"I was ambushed..." Reno looked perplexed, "How do you know so much about me, huh? Have you been following me everywhere?"

"Something like that." She reached into her pocket and pulled something out of it.

Reno watched as she threw the object to the tabletop where it clattered around a bit before ceasing to move. His eyes widened as he realized what it was... A tazer gun.

"What the _hell_?" he gave her an incredulous look, "_You_ did this? You did this to me?"

"You owed me one, Reno." she said, pointing her finger in his face. "You steal from me and I steal from you! Fair trade, I say."

"You _bitch_!" Reno went to the fridge and thrust open the door. He grabbed a cold steak and pressed it against his cheek.

Tifa stepped back and smiled. "Now what kind of thing is that to say to the woman who saved your life?"

"Excuse me? You did _not_ save my life."

"Sure I did! You didn't think Izzy was just gonna let you walk away, didja?"

Reno said nothing. His mind was swirling with angry thoughts. He even contemplated using her own tazer gun against her. He held his tongue while she continued on.

"I was the one who told him to let you go."

"Why would you do that?" he wondered.

"Reno, Reno." She placed a strangely gentle hand on his shoulder. "If I wanted you dead, you would've been at dock 39." she headed towards the door. "No." she turned to him again, "I'm having too much fun messing with you!"

"So, like, this is some kind of _game_ for you?" he narrowed his eyes.

"You made this into a war, Reno. And I intend to win, you hear me?" Her brown eyes were filled with fury, "I'm going to prove to everyone that I am the best merc even if I am a woman."

And with that, Tifa left the apartment in a hurry, slamming the door behind her. Reno only collapsed into one of the chairs at the table and rested his head in his hands. Tifa was going to make his life a living hell, he was sure of that. He felt the embarrassment inside of him transform to anger.

He pounded his fist down on the table. Two could play at this game...


	5. Author's Note

A/N: I just realized that in chapter 3, I had Izzy say that his boss specifically said "no women", then in the next chapter I had Tifa being hired right away. Yes, it is a bit contradictory, so I'm going to ask you all to assume that Izzy and his boss had a change of heart when they saw how effectively Tifa handled the situation at hand... and they're also desperate for an "errand person" so...

Yeah, whoopsie! Can't all be perfect :P


	6. Blue Eyes, Lies, and Spies

A/N: Hey hey again. Welcome to the fifth chapter :) Hope you're enjoying it so far!!

Just wanted to correct something... I believe Reno's eyes are blue, not green. Whoopsie!

Also it seems to me like maybe Reno isn't the best mercenary, lol. He kinda screws up a lot!

CHAPTER FIVE: Blue Eyes, Lies, and Spies

**May 15, 2004**

Tifa was zombie-like this morning as she walked over to the coffee machine in her kitchen. It was set to go off every morning at 7 a.m. on the dot and start brewing its own coffee to be ready when she went to the kitchen. Her bare feet dragged on the cool tiles of her kitchen floor as she navigated her way slowly to the cupboard to grab a mug.

She yawned into her hand and selected a plain white mug that said #1 mom on it. She'd bought it at a yard sale a week after she'd moved into her apartment building. That was almost 2 years ago. She took the coffee pot and poured its contents into the mug. Sleepily, she took a sip from the mug and sputtered it all over the countertop.

Hot water. She'd forgotten to fill the brew basket with grinds the night before. She groaned loudly and decided to brew a mug of tea instead. She tore open two bags of breakfast blend tea and dunked them into the hot water. She let the tea steep for a few minutes, adding three sugar cubes and stirring. She sipped again. Much better.

She sat out in her parlor on the red microfiber couch and curled her legs up underneath her. She'd had a hell of a year since January, she thought as she leaned her back against the plush fabric of the couch. She thought back to the three months she had worked for Izzy and his boss, whom she'd never met. She'd made a killing with the gil that she'd received from the jobs she'd done. She'd had a damn good thing going until one day she'd been exposed by that creep, Reno.

Apparently, he was pretty pissed off that he'd lost his job to a girl, and he'd followed Tifa around for a while. She had been breaking the cardinal rule, a rule that Reno had been familiar with. Never open the package. Tifa had a curious nature and felt the need to see the contents of every package she'd delivered. Reno had seen her on more than one occassion snooping around where she didn't belong.

A streaming video sent to Izzy's cell phone from another cell phone showed Tifa opening almost every package she'd ever been assigned to deliver. She'd been canned right away, her life spared for the mere fact that she was a woman. She had known right away that Reno was behind this.

Since the whole incident had gone down, Tifa had been blacklisted by several people and had been unable to find work. She was behind a month on her rent and she was about to lose her electricity if she didn't pay her utility bill soon. In desperation, she'd applied for a job at the Green Dragon Tavern. She had yet to wait for a response from them.

As if on cue, her cell phone rang. She flipped it open and answered with a hoarse hello.

"Tifa Lockheart?" a male voice asked.

"Speaking." she cleared her throat and squinted her eyes against the sun's rays that filtered into her parlor through the windows.

"This is Hugh Redstone at the Green Dragon Tavern. I'm the owner and proprieter of the business."

"Oh, yeah... Hi Mr. Redstone." she straightened up.

"Hugh will be fine. I'd like you to come down for an interview today. Can you make it?"

"Absolutely!"

"What do you say, uh, noon?"

"Sure. I'll be there." She stood up.

"Great, so we'll see you then."

"Okay. Thank you very much."

Tifa's mood brightened a bit. She was almost 100 percent positive that Hugh would hire her. She had been exposed to bars long before she was ever a merc. She had hung around a bar with her mentor, Caleb Driscoll, for as long as she'd known him. He'd been a heavy drinker until the day he died.

She'd worked a couple of years at the very same bar she'd met Caleb in until she turned 18 and decided to pursue the whole mercenary gig. That was when she'd applied for her first job... and where she'd encountered Reno for the first time.

Pushing thoughts of the annoying redhead to the back of her mind, she focused on the tasks at hand. She did chores around the house until 11:oo. Then she showered, dressed herself in a denim skirt and green polo shirt, and did her hair up in a long braid so that it was out of her face.

Before leaving her apartment, she slipped her feet into a pair of green athletic sneakers and locked her door. She ran down the stairs and began walking the few blocks that were between her apartment and the Green Dragon Tavern. She always got nervous before interviews so her palms were sweating profusely. She clenched and unclenched her fists all the way to the bar.

"Hello?" she called, pushing the door and causing a bell to jingle as she entered.

There was a young man standing behind the bar, trying to look busy. He seemed to be wiping down every surface that was wipeable. When he heard her, he looked up. His blue eyes were incredibly gorgeous, she observed, and his blonde hair was unruly; different lengths stuck out in different directions, some hanging loosely beside his face. His expression was deep and serious.

"Can I help you?" the guy at the bar asked, briefly checking her out from head to toe.

She admired his build inwardly before speaking again. "Is Hugh here?"

"Sure. Hold on one second." The guy turned and left the bar area, retreating behind a swinging wooden door.

Tifa sighed. She sure hoped she got to work here, then she'd be working with that totally sexy guy. He reappeared moments later with an older man who she assumed was Hugh. When he introduced himself as the owner of the bar, it was confirmed.

"So, you put in your application that you have experience as a bartender?" he asked her.

"I do. I've been working in bars for two years." she nodded.

"Great. And you're available full time or part time?" he asked.

"Oh, part time. I, uh, have another job."

"And this other job, the hours are flexible?"

"Yes. Very."

"Okay. Here's the deal." Hugh smiled, "I'm gonna offer you a position as part time bartender here. I want you to pick your hours every week. Either you do Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays or you do Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Bar's closed on Sundays. The hours are usually 4-11, but you can leave at 10 if you feel the need. You can even stay 'til 12, it's totally up to you."

"Great! Sounds awesome!" Tifa grinned.

"So you want it, then?"

"Yes. I'll take it."

"Okay. Since you're here, lemme give you a quick tour." Hugh motioned for her to follow him and she did.

He showed her the dancefloor, the jukebox, the lounge, the pool room, the VIP suites, the restrooms, the employee restrooms, the bar, the back of the house, the parking area, and the dumpsters.

Back at the bar, Hugh introduced her to the young man she'd been eying earlier.

"This here is Cloud Strife." the older man clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "He's my second in command and you'll report to him because I'm not here after 4 most days."

Cloud nodded and took her hand to shake it. The warmth of his skin against hers sent a euphoric feeling trickling throughout her entire body. She felt the heat of sexual attraction between her thighs and she was sure her ears were burning bright red.

The corner of his mouth turned up playfully as though he could sense her attraction towards him. Truth was, the attraction between them was sexual from the first moment they'd laid eyes on one another. She felt his eyes drift to her legs and back up again to her breasts.

She was sure she would've jumped on him right there if Hugh didn't speak again. His voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. Tifa even jumped a little in surprise.

"So, you think you can start next Friday? It's our busiest day, y'know?"

"Y-yes." she said, "Friday's great."

"All right, Tifa." he took her hand and shook it again. "Welcome aboard the crew and I'll see you next week!"

"Bye." she said, turning to take her leave.

As she left, she felt Cloud's eyes burning into her back with every step she took towards the door. The breeze brought her out of her daze and even sent a shiver down her spine as she exited the bar and hit the street. She was halfway to her apartment building when her beeper went off.

She looked down at the waistband of her skirt, which was where she'd clipped her pager, and plucked it off so she could read the display. She'd gotten the pager for herself after she'd decided to become a merc and she'd only given the number out to people who knew people who were looking for 'help'.

She waited until she got to her apartment before making the call to the number that the page had come from. A woman's voice answered the phone. She sounded kind of upset, like she'd been crying or something.

"I got a page?" Tifa said softly.

"That was quick!" The woman said, sniffling.

"Yes. What do you need?"

"I need someone taken care of."

"Who, exactly?"

"My husband."

"I'm listening."

Reno sat in his apartment amidst the mess of audio equipment that his buddy Tseng had brought over for him to use to his advantage. A device that resembled a laptop rested on the floor; light green lines set in graph formation were displayed on the screen. A straight, dark green line extended from one end of the screen to the other. It was sound sensitive and only reacted to sound picked up by the receiver.

Two large spools of film whirred as they turned on their pegs. They were recording the sound information that the receiver had picked up as well. Tseng sat Indian-style on the ground, toying with an audio mixer. He wore a pair of enormous headphones on his ears.

"Do you really need all this shit?" Reno looked around, amazed.

"Huh?" Tseng looked at him.

"I said," Reno pulled one of the headphones off of his friend's ear and continued, "Do you _really_ need all this shit?"

Tseng made a face. "This is not _shit_." he pointed out. "It's some of the most advanced audio bugging and recording devices available and you should be a _little _more appreciative of what I'm doing for you, man."

"My bad." Reno apologized, "You gettin' anything good yet?"

"Nah." Tseng shook his head, his eyes glued to his gadgets, "Just a few sounds here and there."

"Lemme listen." Reno siezed the headphones from Tseng's head and slapped them on his own. "I can't hear anything!" he shouted.

"That's probably because there's nothing to hear." his friend said.

Reno reached forward and turned the volume dial all the way to maximum. Tseng's eyes grew wide with surprise.

"No!" he shouted, trying to stop his friend.

"Ahh!" Reno screamed as extremely loud static filled his ears. A shrill feedback sound rang in his head. He ripped the headphones from his head and nearly hurled them across the room.

"What in the _hell_?!" he rubbed both of his ears and pouted.

Tseng only clucked his tongue while turning the volume back down. "You can't turn the volume up to max, are you insane? You'll blow your eardrums out! Hell, your brain would probably explode!"

"Yeah! Thanks for telling me _now!_" Reno rolled his eyes.

"I''m serious, Reno. This is serious stuff!" Tseng put his headphones on again. "These receivers are extremely sensitive. They have to be because you want to pick up telephone conversations, right?"

"Right." Reno nodded.

"Okay, then, so shut up and be patient."

The redheaded young man sat back in his armchair; his posture was slumped over. He tapped his ring against the arm of the chair mimicking a beat of a song he knew while whistling the melody at the same time. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed for the first time since he'd moved here that it needed to be painted desperately.

Losing interest in the ceiling, he directed his attention to a bird's nest outside his window. The mother bird was chewing up a worm and regurgitating it into her babies' mouths. Reno wrinkled his nose in disgust and thanked God that he wasn't a baby bird. He preferred his food solid.

The thought of food caused his empty stomach to growl audibly.

"I got something!" Tseng said, breaking his friend from his trance.

"Lemme hear!" he shouted, sprawling out on the floor.

"Hold on." Tseng unplugged the headphones and turned the volume up a small amount.

Reno listened with growing anticipation as he heard a woman's voice speaking. She sounded kind of upset, like she'd been crying. Then he heard Tifa's voice next. He listened to the entire conversation about how the woman's husband had cheated on her and about how he'd made his mistress pregnant. The woman wanted her husband killed so his mistress would have to raise their child on her own.

"This is great." Reno said, nudging Tseng's arm with his elbow.

He continued to listen while the woman gave Tifa instructions and information on the target. He scrawled it down on a pad of paper Tseng had at hand. The woman then offered Tifa 60,000 gil for the job. Reno whistled. 60,000 was good for a newbie. He waited until Tifa ended the conversation before jumping to his feet and whooping loudly.

"Yeah, baby!" he pulled Tseng off of the floor and embraced him, "You are the man!"

"Thanks..." Tseng said, giving his friend an awkward look, "Reno, are you sure you wanna be doing this?"

"Why wouldn't I wanna be doing this?"

"Well, because you should really focus on advancing your own career instead of trying to sabotage someone else's. Where are you going to get by doing that?"

Reno paused. "Hey. I don't question your intentions when you hack into the government database and run background checks on all the girls you bring home, do I?"

"Point made." Tseng held up his hands, "I won't question your intentions again."

"This is gonna be great." Reno said mischeivously, "You have played a pivotal role in helping me be the best!"


	7. War

CHAPTER SIX: War

**May 25, 2004**

Reno was hanging out after a long day of washing cars with his buddy and subordinate, Rude. They were drinking a couple of beers that Rude had taken the liberty of buying during his lunch hour. They were in the office after they'd shut down the wash for the day. Everyone had pretty much left except for a few of the detailers from Mexico who were out in the lot amusing themselves with a remote control car.

"So, kid, what do you do when you're not here being my boss?" Rude asked.

Reno shrugged. "I have a bunch of different hobbies."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"Man, it's complicated." Reno shook his head and took a sip of his beer.

"Hey, man, how long have we known each other?" Rude asked, peering at Reno over the rims of his Ray-Bans.

"I don't know... Since we were both working at Miguel's car wash before it closed down?"

"How long ago would you say that was?"

"Well, I was 15. Five or six years?"

"Exactly. Man, you're like a brother to me! You know you can trust me with anything, right?"

Reno laughed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I feel like you're keepin' some big secret, dude! How do you feed yourself with what you get paid here? You gotta have somethin' good going on the side, right?"

"Mmmaybe."

"What are you, like, a spy or somethin'?"

"Rude, what's with all the questions, yo?"

His friend shrugged. "I'm just talking here. It's cool if you don't wanna tell me."

"Well... It's complicated."

"Are you a hired hitman or some shit like that?" Rude laughed at his own comment.

Reno lowered his voice. "Man, keep your voice down."

Rude choked on his laughter and washed out his throat with a swig from the beer bottle. "Dude... are you serious? No way you're a hitman!" this time his voice was a harsh whisper.

Reno looked around suspiciously. "I'm not a 'hitman', Rude. I'm a mercenary."  
"What's the difference?"

"I do whatever's needed for money." Reno explained, "Not just taking people out."

"Awesome!" Rude grinned, "Good money, huh?"

"Hell yeah."

"I could use a gig like that on the side." Rude sat back in his chair.

Reno took a seat on the desktop and looked at his friend seriously. "You should get into the biz. You're a big guy, you got skills. You're a bouncer, too, right?"

"Yep." Rude nodded, "I make a living kicking the shit out of dumb punks who step on my toes. I tell you, people got no respect for the rules."

"But I bet it doesn't pay half as much as it should!" Reno said, making an argument.

"It's not that bad."

"Yeah, but think about it, my man, you could get killed out there!" the redhead began accompanying his speech with hand and arm gestures, "You could get stabbed in the heart by some drunk dude or shot in the face by some gun-toting psychopath! And for what? For a few measily gil?"

Rude cocked his head to the side. "You're right, y'know? But you could get killed doin' what you're doin' too."

"True!" Reno said, finishing his beer and opening another bottle (it was his fourth one already), "But if you _lived_, the gil would be worth the risk."

Rude paused in contemplation.

"Besides, man, you wouldn't _die_. You'd be damn good, I can feel it."

Reno's cell phone rang in his pocket, interrupting their thoughts. He fished it out of his pants and flipped it open.

"Yo." he said.

"It's Tseng."

"What's up?"

"Where are you right now?" Tseng asked.

"I'm at work."

"Still working?"

"Nah. Just chillin'."

"Well, get your ass in gear brother. Your girl just made a move. I think the hit is going down _tonight_."

Reno almost spit his beer out everywhere. Instead, he held it confined in his mouth and began choking loudly on it. Tseng was still speaking on the other end of the line, but his voice fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the sound of choking and sputtering.

"You okay, Reno? You gonna live?" Tseng asked, once the choking had subsided.

"Yeah, yeah. You just surprised me, that's all."

"I got her at the Seven Eleven on Washington, across the street from the Italian bakery."

"That's right down the block from the target's house."

"Yeah, well, get moving!" Tseng repeated sternly, "I'll keep an eye on her for now, but the action is your department!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'!" Reno flipped his phone shut and looked at Rude apologetically.

"Gotta go?" his friend asked.

"Yeah, man. Something big just came up. I've been working on it for weeks and it would suck to blow it now."

"Don't get yourself whacked out there." Rude said with a halfhearted smile.

"See you 'round." Reno left the carwash and hailed the first cab he saw.

"Where you headed?" the cabbie asked when Reno entered the car.

"Seven Eleven, Washington Street."

"Got it."

Reno tapped his fingers on his legs impatiently. The cabbie managed to get his fare to the Seven Eleven store in less than 10 minutes. Reno paid the man, giving him a nice tip, and exited the cab. He stood in the middle of the convenient store's parking lot and pulled out his cell to call Tseng.

"Reno?" Tseng answered his phone on the second ring.

"Where are you now?"

"Head north on Washington and take the first right onto Eastern Ave."

"Gotcha." Reno stayed on the line while he jogged a block and a half to Eastern Avenue.

"I'm in front of the Avenue video store." Tseng continued, "Can you see me from where you are?"

"Hold up." Reno lowered his phone and scanned the many businesses and homes that occupied Eastern Avenue.

The video store was the most conspicuous place on the whole block. Yellow lights glowed all around the movie posters that hung in the window and the sign was neon blue. Reno was about to take a step forward when Tseng's voice on the phone stopped him.

"I lost her!" Tseng shouted.

"What?" Reno held the phone to his ear again, "Say that again?"

"I said that I _lost_ her!"

Reno cursed when he saw Tifa sneak up behind Tseng. He flipped his cell phone off and took cover behind some tall hedges in someone's front yard.

"Who are you?" Tifa asked Tseng, grabbing his shirt collar and slamming him up against the building.

"Whoa, whoa!" Tseng choked out nervously.

"Who are you working for?" Tifa's tone intensified as her anger grew.

"I--I don't work for anyone, miss!" Tseng explained, "I'm a scout... for a modelling agency in Los Angeles!"

"A modelling agency?" Tifa loosened her grip on the guy's collar. She pulled out a huge knife and held it against Tseng's stomach.

"That's right. Jesus Christ!" he felt the sharp tip of the knife split the skin on his stomach through the fabric of his clothes. "Calm down!"

"No way..." Tifa growled, "You don't look like a guy from a freakin' modelling agency."

"No, no!" Tseng held up his hands and reached into his jacket pocket.

"Don't!" Tifa pressed the knife deeper and Tseng cried out in pain.

"I'm just gonna... get my card."

Tifa allowed Tseng to reach inside his pocket for his card. He handed her a small, rectangular business card. She snagged it from his fingers and took a quick look at it. She looked back at Tseng, her grip loosening on her knife. Her eyes darted from his head to his toes and back to his eyes again.

"Looks legit." she said simply, slipping her knife into a sheath she had strapped to her ankle, "Go."

Tseng's feet were rooted to the spot for a moment.

"Take a hike before I change my mind, man." Tifa said, glaring at him.

Tseng nodded and ran off. Reno waited until Tifa was clearly out of sight before calling to Tseng from his hiding spot. The black-haired man spotted him from across the street and jogged over to him. Reno could tell from his expression that he was slightly angered.

"God damn it!" Tseng said angrily, "Man, this better be worth it! That bitch is crazy!"

"Tell me about it." Reno rolled his eyes, "How's your wound?"

Tseng exhaled in relief. "I thought she was gonna rip my guts out." he laughed nervously, "That's the biggest damn knife I've ever seen."

"K-bar, I think." Reno frowned. "She's good. I couldn't possibly follow her, she'd be onto me in a heartbeat."

"Well, you're outta options." Tseng said.

"Not quite..."

Tifa shook her head and smiled to herself as she continued on down the street. She still wasn't sure if she fully believed that guy's story about being a scout for a modelling agency, but it had been satisfying to see the look of pure fear on his face.

For the remainder of the evening, Tifa spent her time canvassing the area that surrounded the target's home. One week previously she had been canvassing the area around the target's mistresses' home and photographing their, ahem, meetings.

The photos of the target and his mistress only further enraged the wife, who had upped the fee to 70,000 gil recently. She wanted him dead by the next day and Tifa was running low on time. The last thing she needed was someone following her around.

After she'd finished, she returned to her apartment to pick up her sniper rifle. She dressed in dark colors-a black turtleneck (even though it was 70 degrees out) and black pants-and took a cab to the Korean-owned dry cleaner that was across the street from the target's home.

She used a dumpster to help her scale the side of the building and reach the rooftop. She immediately began unpacking her rifle and seeting everything up. The target would surely be arriving soon and she didn't want the opportunity to pass her by.

According to her thoroughness and her tailing work, she figured the target would be arriving home at around 2 in the morning. He always got home around that time on Fridays because he went straight to his girlfriend's house after work.

This Friday was no different from the others. She recognized the target walking along the street at 1:58 a.m. Right on schedule. He'd taken the subway, because he didn't drive to work, and the station was about two blocks away from his home. She spotted him with her nightvision goggles when he was about a block from his home.

Tifa was so deeply concentrated on the subject that she didn't hear the muffled sound of footsteps behind her. A dark figure loomed in the shadows, preparing to strike.

She lined up a good headshot and was about to fire when she felt the shock of her life against her shoulder. The electric currents raced from her shoulder, to her neck, to the base of her skull and rocked her until she was nearly unconscious. She collapsed to the ground and looked up above her.

The image of her attacker came into focus slowly. A man... with red hair. God damn it! Reno! She reached up and grabbed his pant leg. He kicked her hand loose and planted his foot on her throat. She grabbed his shoe with both hands and tried to pry it off of her, but she was still a little numb from the shock.

"Don't bother struggling, Tifa." Reno said smugly, "My electro-mag rod is ten times more effective than a lousy tazer gun."

"Ugh." she flipped him off with all the strength she could muster.

"Cute." he said, taking his foot off of her neck. "Good night, Tifa."

He grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head against the roof. When the first hit didn't render her unconscious, the second one did.

Tifa awoke with a splitting headache that seemed to be originating from the base of her skull. Her neck and shoulders were stiff, like she had whiplash or something. Funny... she didn't recall a car accident. Hell, she didn't even have a car.

_Where the hell am I?_

Further observation led her to believe she was in her apartment. On the couch, to be exact. She sat up painfully, moaning and holding a hand against her neck muscles. She tasted the copper tang of blood in her mouth and resisted the urge to spit on her living room floor.

Tifa stood up wearily and hobbled to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip, swirling the liquid around in her mouth before spitting it into the sink. The water was stained red with her blood. She held a hand to her head and almost passed out. She had to grab onto one of her chairs for support.

Whimpering, she lowered herself into the seat and rested her head in her hands. She had no recollection of what had happened. Last she knew she was on the roof trying to take out a target...

_Oh, no._

Her eyes focused on a small, handwritten note that sat on her kitchen table. She took it in her hands, that were shaking, and blinked while the letters came into focus.

_Tifa,_

_Now we're even. Turn on the morning news._

_-R._

R. Reno. God damn it. He'd attacked her with his silly little electric rod. That thing sure packed a punch, she found out the hard way. She went to her bedroom and switched on the television that rested ontop of her bureau. The news was already covering the murder of a high profile attorney right outside his condominium.

"That little bastard." Tifa narrowed her eyes as she listened to the reporters covering the killing.

It was the killing of the guy she'd been assigned to take out. The reporters were calling it a 'professional hit'. She couldn't stand to watch it anymore. She switched the television off and collapsed on her bed. She dialed the number of the client on her cell phone and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" a woman's voice. It was the client.

"The job's done." Tifa said softly.

"Um... I know." the woman seemed confused, "Who is this?"

"You hired me. 70,000 gil? Your husband?"

"I can't talk about this now." The woman said, "The police are already suspicious of me."

"Well, can I collect my fee?" Tifa tried, knowing it was a long shot.

"Well, it was already collected. Your partner stopped by this morning and told me that you'd passed the job off to him..."

Tifa flipped her phone shut. "Damn Reno!" she cursed.

He'd gotten even. She couldn't blame him for wanting to, but she hadn't expected him to pull it off so well. Most people, she figured, would've called it even and left it at that... but not Tifa. She was just getting started. Reno wanted a war... he got it.

Reno shut off the news with a satisfied grin. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. He waited for an answer on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.

"Hey, Elena." he said happily.

"Reno? What the hell are you doing calling me this early?"

"I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For tailing that chick for me yesterday. It was a big help."

"Yeah. Look, I owed you for what you did for my father. He really cared about the people he trained and I'm sure he'd be poud of the way you turned out." Elena paused, "We even now?"

"Even Steven." Reno said.

"Good. Take care of yourself, huh?"

"Will do."

"Later."

Reno shut off his phone. Yesterday after Tseng had been made, he'd called Elena, the daughter of his mentor and trainer. She knew all about her father's business and his trainees and had promised Reno, after her father's untimely death, that if he ever needed anything from her that she would be there for him.

So she'd repayed her debt by tailing Tifa for the remainder of yesterday's evening. If there was one thing Elena was a pro at, it was tailing people without being made. And besides, she lived in an aparment above the bakery that was a few blocks from the target's condo, so it worked out well for her.

Reno sat down, triumphant. Even though most people would have called it even at that point and moved on, he was sure Tifa would strike back in retaliation. All he had to do now was wait until she made her move... and be ready to take her on again.


	8. Child's Play

A/N: There are a few chronological errors in this fic, unfortunately, and I'd like to take a moment to apologize for that.

For the sake of this story, I'd like to make a few changes right here.

First, when I wrote that Tifa started her merc career four years ago, I conflicted it in a later chapter by saying that she started more like six years ago. So let's just stick with option B.

Tifa started getting into the merc biz when she was 16, which is when she met her mentor... She is now 22.

Okay. On with the story.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER SEVEN: Child's Play

**September 20, 2004**

12 o'clock came quickly, Tifa concluded to herself as she finished wiping down the last of the beer mugs. As usual on Fridays the bar had been packed and she'd had to do her fair share of cutting people off before they drank themselves into a coma. She'd made about 500 gil in tips for the night which was also the usual for a Friday night, and she'd recorded it in the tip log after cashing out her drawer.

She took off her apron and hung it on a hook in the back of the house. A light was on in the office. Cloud was probably finishing logging in the books before locking up. Normally she was too shy to say more than two words to him and she would take off without even saying good night to him, but tonight she was feeling uncharacteristically bold. She stood in the doorway of the office and was about to speak when she lost her nerve. She was about to turn and leave when Cloud looked up.

"Tifa." he said smirking, "Thought you would've been gone by now."

She shook her head. "Just wanted to say good night."

He nodded.

"Well... Good night, Cloud." she gave a nervous wave and turned to take her leave.

Cloud stood up from the desk. "Tifa, wait."

"Hm?" she turned to face him, her cheeks light pink with embarrassment.

"We've been working together for about 4 months, right?" he asked, moving towards her slowly.

"Yeah. Since May." she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.

"And as I recall, we've had about four whole conversations." Cloud crossed his arms across his chest, "Averaged out, that would be about one full conversation per month. That's pretty sad."

"Abysmal." Tifa agreed softly.

He was so close to her now, she could feel the heat of his skin against hers even though they weren't touching. He leaned in a little, his expression serious.

"If you have an issue with me, I wish you'd tell me so we could work it out." he murmured.

Tifa shook her head. "No... There's no problem."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He put his hand on her shoulder and she was surprised at how smooth his skin was. "Then I hope we can get to know each other more."

She looked at him right in his eyes. He was confident. His gaze never wavered once. She, on the other hand, was blinking and shivering like an idiot she was sure. She had to fight herself to keep her eyes locked on his.

"M-me, too." she whispered.

He didn't say anything, but his hand moved from her shoulder to her neck. His fingertips brushed against her jawline and she froze. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until he leaned in to kiss her. She had to suck in a quick breath through her nostrils because his tongue was hungrily invading her mouth, blocking any access she had to oxygen.

She felt his arms snake around her body, locking tightly around her. He pushed her with his body until she was pressed against the door. She was shocked at first, but she soon surrendered to the insatiable attraction that had been trying to claw its way out of her since the day she'd laid eyes on him.

He hoisted her into his arms and carried her over to the desk. With one arm, he shoved the logbook off the desktop and onto the ground. He laid her back on the desktop and positioned his body between her thighs. She closed her eyes and moaned as he unbuttoned the front of her shirt and pushed it off of her shoulders.

She clawed with her fingers at his back in search of the hem of his shirt. When she found it, she pulled it over his head. His chest was strong and his stomach was muscular. There was a light dusting of fine blonde hair above his navel that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants.

He removed her bra with one hand and he tossed it onto the ground to join the logbook. He bent his head down so he could kiss her breasts. She pulled her fingers through his hair and arched her body into his kiss. He made short work of her pants and allowed her to unbuckle his belt. She could feel the extent of his arousal through his pants, pressing against her inner thigh.

He didn't even bother to take off her panties nor to pull his pants all the way down. He pushed them down so they rested at his thighs and pushed himself past Tifa's panties so he could enter her. She stared at the ceiling in a daze the entire time that he was inside of her. Her fingers scraped at the flesh of his back while his mouth remained attached to her neck.

She knew he was close to his climax because she could feel herself tightening around him as he swelled. When he came, he pulled out and she felt the moisture and heat against her belly. Her closed his eyes and put his head down, groaning and breathing heavily on top of her.

His skin was slick with sweat as he held him close to her. It was then that she closed her eyes. They remained there for a while, neither one of them saying anything. After what seemed like a lifetime, Cloud stood up. He pulled his pants up around his waist and buckled his belt again.

"We should get out of here." he said, bending down to pick up their discarded clothing.

"Okay." Tifa said softly, grabbing the bra when he tossed it over to her.

"Where's your place?" he asked, slipping his shirt over his head.

"It's not far from here." She said, cleaning herself off before redressing.

Cloud picked up the logbook and placed it inside the desk. "Let's go."

"Okay."

Tifa followed Cloud back to the bar after he'd shut off the lights in the back. She felt kind of awkward. She'd never imagined that this would be the way things were between them. And Cloud wasn't talking to her at all. He was barely even looking at her. She hoped that he didn't think she was some kind of slut or something.

She followed him out the door and onto the street. He locked the door behind them and straightened himself out. He looked at her with a grin.

"Want me to walk you home?" he asked.

"Definitely." Tifa said with a smile, catching his drift.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Reno was roused from his slumber by a loud banging noise coming from his parlor. He looked at the digital clock on his bedside table. It was 10 a.m. What the hell was going on? He hoped to God that they weren't doing renovations on the sixth floor again. He wandered into the parlor and looked around.

The banging continued. It was coming from the opposite side of his front door. Who the hell would be here at this hour? He cursed under his breath as he thrust the door open.

Tseng stood on the other side. He had an amused look on his face. He let himself in, pushing past Reno, who resembled the living dead.

"Did I wake you?" Tseng asked.

"Whaddya think?" Reno closed the door and locked it.

"Sorry, man." he apologized, "I was bored this morning and was looking over the tapes of your girl."

"And? Does she have another job?" Reno hoped Tifa hadn't gotten any job offers because it had been a while since his last.

Tseng snickered. "She did a job on someone last night!"

"What?!"

"Not _that_ kind of job..."

Reno rolled his eyes as he watched Tseng thrust his hips back and forth.

"I can't believe you woke me for _this_."

"I was _bored_, Reno!" Tseng said, "But if you don't wanna hear it, I can erase it."

"Do it then." Reno entered his kitchen, "The last thing I wanna hear are the sexual escapades of my arch nemesis." he reached into the fridge for a cold one.

"You know, most people have coffee." Tseng said, watching Reno pry the cap off of the beer bottle.

"Yeah, well, I'm not most people." he took a swig.

"That is so bad for you."

"She didn't have any job offers, huh?"

"Nope. She's as barren as you are."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem."

Tseng stretched his arms out. "So, you want me to grab the equipment?"

"If you got it."

"It's in the van downstairs."

"Well... go get it!" Reno said.

He waited for his friend to return. When Tseng came back up, he was hauling two large cases behind him. He shot Reno a dirty look.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to lend a hand." he said.

"It's early, yo." Reno said, shaking his head.

Tseng rolled his eyes, but began unpacking the equipment none the less. Reno watched in amazement as his friend plugged in this wire to this device and that wire to the other device and cross these two wires over to here... It was enough to make his head explode.

"Okay, I'm gonna erase last night's recording..."

**Meanwhile, at Tifa's apartment...**

Tifa awoke before Cloud the next morning. She slid out of her bed and went into her kitchen to get coffee. She wasn't surprised when she discovered that she'd forgotten to fill the brew basket _again_. She tossed the hot water down the sink and went into her cupboards in search of her coffee.

The coffee wasn't where she usually put it. It was way up at the top where she couldn't reach without a chair.

"Now who the hell did this?" she said to herself as she pushed a chair up to the counter and stepped ontop of it.

She could see the entire shelf and she had to reposition some items to grab the coffee without causing anything to fall. When she took the can, she heard something clatter onto the desktop. It must have fallen from the cupboard...

**Back at Reno's aparment...**

Reno had just finished showering when he heard Tseng calling him from the parlor.

"Reno! Get over here!"

"I just got out of the shower!" Reno called back angrily.

"Just get over here! NOW!" Tseng insisted.

"Persistent son of a bitch..." Reno muttered to himself. "I'm naked here, yo!"

"Grab a towel! Hurry up!"

Reno grabbed a towel and secured it around his waist. He came running into the parlor where Tseng was kneeling on the ground with his headphones around his neck.

"This better be important..." Reno said.

"Listen!" Tseng shushed him.

Reno obliged as his friend turned the volume up on the speakers.

"I think she found us!" Tseng hissed.

**Back to Tifa's place...**

"What the hell?" Tifa stepped off the chair and picked a small, metallic object off of her counter.

It was small, like an earring, but it was roung. There was a small bit of wire sticking out of it. It looked like fiberoptics material to her. Her heart rate increased as she realized what she was holding.

"A BUG?" She shouted to herself.

"Kill it."

She whirled around and saw Cloud standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He was fully clothed.

"Oh... Yeah, it's gone..." she said, hiding the device behind her back.

"Great." He said, "Look, I've got to get going, so..."

"Okay." Tifa nodded, approaching him. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Bye." he said, kissing her... on the _cheek_.

"Later..." Tifa stared at him longingly as she watched him leave.

Why didn't he kiss her mouth? She sulked for a moment before remembering that she'd found a bug in her apartment. She pushed thoughts of Cloud to the back of her mind and looked down at the device again.

"God damn it!" She muttered, "I bet I can guess who's behind this..."

She tossed the device into her #1 Mom mug and filled it with tap water...

**Back at Reno's...**

"AHH!" Tseng and Reno screamed in unison when the sound of feedback and static filled the entire room.

"Turn it off!" Reno cried, covering his ears.

"I'm going!" Tseng reached out and flipped the speakers off.

"Phew!" Reno said, relieved. "What the hell happened?"

"She found the device." Tseng said. "Then she drowned us out."

"Drowned?"

"She tossed it into water! Lemme tell you, those things don't mix with water. She fried our feed!"

"Not to mention our ear drums." Reno made a face.

"You know, if she finds out that it was you she--"

Reno's cell pone rang loudly, interrupting Tseng midsentence.

"Hold that thought." the redhead picked up his phone and answered it. "Yo?"

"You sneaky son of a bitch!"

"Tifa?!" Reno frowned, "How did you get this number?"

"You think you're hard to find, Reno?!" She growled, "What the _hell_ were you doing in my apartment?!"

"Why, whatever do you mean, Tifa?" he said, feigning innocence, "I don't even know where you live!"

"Don't play games with me, asshole! I _know_ it was you! You were spying on me, that's how you knew about that attorney! Tell me it's not true!"

Reno smirked. "Tifa... all's fair in love and _war_."

Tifa gritted her teeth angrily. "You want a war, Reno? You just took it to a whole new level!"

She hung up on him. He looked at Tseng, amused.

"You think this is funny." the dark-haired man said.

"Hilarious."

"Well, if you get killed by this chick, don't come back to haunt _me_."

"If Tifa wanted me dead, Tseng, I'd be dead already. Same if I wanted her dead."

"Which reminds me, why _haven't_ you killed her?"

"Because... I'm having too much fun playing with her whacked-out little head." Reno took another beer out of his fridge, "Besides, I think she kind of likes me."

"_Likes_ you?" Tseng laughed in disbelief, "You are twisted."

**Later...**

Reno, having the day off and all, spent most of the afternoon drinking. Tseng hadn't stuck around too long after the morning's events. He left around noon muttering something about not wanting to be around Reno when he was wallowing in his self pity... whatever _that_ meant.

He was relaxing on his couch when he heard a knock at his door. He groaned. _Not again._ He reluctantly pulled himself off the sofa and went to his door on slightly uneasy feet. He stood on the inside and frowned, drawing his eyebrows together.

"Whaddya want?" he shouted.

No answer.

"Look, if you're a salesperson... I don't want any!" he turned and started to walk back to the couch.

He was convinced that whoever had been trying to get him to answer his door had left when the knocking stopped. So one could imagine his shock when the door to his apartment flew open with a crash; the locking mechanism dislodged from the wood and clattered across the floor. Wood from the doorframe splintered all around.

"What the _hell_!" he turned.

Tifa stormed inside the apartment. Apparently, she had kicked down the door. She held her fists clenched at her sides and her eyes were full of fury.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked, unphased. "You owe me a new door."

"The hell I do." Tifa growled, "I just came to give you something."

"What?"

Tifa reached inside her vest as though she were going to pull something out. Instead, she withdrew her fist and clocked Reno in the face. He stumbled backwards, completely surprised, and clamped a hand to his mouth. He tasted blood and his head was swirling from the affects of all the alcohol he'd drunk.

"You hit me!" he said, incredulous.

"More where that came from!" Tifa shouted, balling up her fist and socking him again.

Reno allowed her two more good punches before he reached up and grabbed her wrists. He planted a foot in her stomach and kicked her, releasing his grip on her wrists so she was propelled backwards by the force of the blow. She hit the ground hard and curled into a ball. Reno waited for her to get to her feet again.

"Come on." He said, "COME ON! GET UP!"

Tifa glared at him from underneath her eyelashes. She jumped to her feet with a cry, kicking her leg straight up. Her foot connected with Reno's palm as he blocked her attack. She immediately shifted her weight and tried again with her other leg.

Reno grabbed her by her ankle and used her own force to toss her behind him. She slid across the floor until she collided with the wall. She struggled to her feet again and looked at Reno. He looked skeptical and mocking, like he didn't think she could take him on at all.

"You think you're tough?" she asked, her breath heaving, "Beating up a girl?"

"This is self defense, sweetie." He insisted, wiping blood from his mouth, "You threw the first punch, remember?"

"And I'll throw the last." she ran towards him again.

He waited until she was close enough to him to throw a powerful left hook. She dodged it, much to his surprise, and elbowed him in the chest. The blow surprised him just long enough for her to get another hit. She used her palm and uppercutted him in the nose. He cried out and stepped away from her.

He felt blood trickling from his nose and he growled as he charged into her. He tackled her to the ground and her head slammed against the floor. He tried to pin her wrists to the floor, but her knee came up and hit him right between his legs.

"God damn it!" He cried out in pain.

He rolled off of her and curled up into the fetal position. She got to her feet and pulled her knife out of its sheath. Her rage was boiling inside of her. This was going to end here!

Reno looked up and saw Tifa pull out her K-bar. His eyes grew wide. He needed to get up now. She looked like she was going to kill him. Maybe he _had_ pushed her too hard.

"Tifa...?" he choked out.

"Argh!" She screamed, running towards him with her knife in hand.

He had to move quick to dodge the stabbing motion from her knife. When she missed, Tifa continued pursuing her target. He had returned to his feet now and his hands were up in a defensive stance. She changed the position of the knife in her hand and slashed at him.

She missed the first slash, but the second one opened a gash on his palm. He recoiled his hand and pressed it against his chest. Tifa looked surprised, as though she hadn't meant to really cut him. He took that moment to grab a hold of her and wrestle the knife from her hand.

She struggled and squirmed as he pushed her against the wall. His hands were wrapped tightly against her wrists. She tried to kick him again, but he used his own legs to keep hers nailed to one spot. His eyes were level with hers, his face mere inches away from hers.

"Stop this!" he shouted, his teeth gritted.

"I'll kill you!" she cried.

"We both know you don't wanna do that!" he insisted.

"I _don't_?! Says who!"

She finally broke free. He stepped back and waited for her to make her move. She stared from him, back to the knife and back to him again. Then she tried stabbing him again. He sidestepped her attack and grabbed her arm. He pinned it behind her back and twisted it until it nearly broke her bone. She released the knife and it fell into his hand.

He pushed her away. She turned to him. He held the knife, her knife, in his hand. They both stood there breathing heavily and waiting for another move.

"What are you gonna do?" Tifa asked, "Kill me?"

Reno straightened out. "You don't know me at all."

"I know you're a sneaky bastard!" she hissed.

"Is this about the bug?" he asked, laughing nervously.

"You know damn well that it is! I'm tired of you trying to steal my jobs!"

"You were the one who started all this!" he pointed the tip of the bloodied knife at her, "You couldn't _stand_ that Izzy thought I was more qualified than you!"

Tifa scoffed. "More qualified? Why? 'Cause you have a dick?"

Reno shook his head. "No. Because I have more experience than you!"

"Bull."

"Tifa, you're, like, 18."

"19!" she corrected him, "And what difference does that make? You're only 21!"

"You're a baby." He said, "People don't want babies doing this kind of work."

"I am _not_ a baby. I'm certainly more grown up than you are!"

"Says you."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "This is pointless. We'll never get anywhere like this."

"What do you mean?" he cocked a brow.

"I mean, this is child's play." She laughed, "Look at us! We're like a couple of kids fighting over a spot on the honor roll! This is ridiculous."

Reno sighed. "I supposed you're right."

"I know I am." she forced a smile to her face, "So let's just call a truce right now and you can give me my knife and I'll be on my way."

"Can I have your word?"

"Of course! No more trying to steal your jobs... No more following you... Whoever wins, wins fair and square."

Reno contemplated her offer for a moment before nodding. "It's a deal, then." he turned her knife around in his hand and held it by the blade, offering her the handle.

Tifa grabbed the handle and gently took the knife from Reno.

"Okay." she said, "I'll be going now."

"Okay."

Reno waited until Tifa was out in the hallway before speaking again. "The door?"

"Send me the bill."

Reno nodded. Tifa nodded back.

After she'd left, Tifa slid her knife into its sheath and descended the stairs laughing to herself.

Reno shut the door behind her and laughed to himself.

"Sucker." he said.

"What a sucker." she said.


	9. The Martin Assignment

CHAPTER EIGHT: The Martin Assignment

**Present day...**

The morning found Reno eating breakfast alone again, washing the ham and buttered toast down with strong black coffee. He'd burnt the toast earlier and had tried to salvage what was left by scraping the burnt pieces off with a knife. The news was on again as usual. Nothing too interesting. Reno wondered why he even bothered watching anymore.

He finished what was left of his food and washed the dishes he'd used in his sink. After he was done with that, his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw the number of the car wash. It was probably Rude calling to tell him that the other manager, and Reno's superior, needed him to fill in for the day.

"Yo, Reno here." he answered on the third ring.

"Hey, boss."

"Hey. Had a feeling it was you, Rude."

"Yeah. Look, I know it's your day off and all, but Aaron needs you to fill in for him until 4."

Reno sighed and looked down at his beeper that was clipped to his belt. He had no pages which meant no clients which also meant no gil.

_What the hell? It's not like I have anything better to do._

"I'll be there in 15 minutes." he said, flipping the phone shut.

It had been three days since the Hitchcock assignment and he still hadn't been able to sleep well remembering what had happened. That damn girl, Tifa, was a real pain in the ass. Ever since the day he'd met her and she'd lost her first job opportunity to him, she hadn't stopped terrorizing him. Sure, he terrorized her as well, but she'd been the one who waged this whole war in the first place.

They'd been retaliating against each other for years now. Even during the quiet months, they would run into each other in bars and the hot spots in the slums both in search of potential job opportunities. Often times they would follow each other to a job and try to steal credit, much like the Hitchock assignment. This was dangerous because they almost ended up getting themselves killed on more than one occassion.

Reno had contemplated taking Tifa out many times, as he was sure she'd done the same in regard to him, but until now, neither of them had gone through with the task. Her motives for sparing his life were unknown, even though she claimed that it wouldn't be worth it, but he knew that for some reason... he just couldn't go through with it. Even if she was a crazy, paranoid bitch most of the time.

He frowned and looked down at the scar she'd left him on the palm of his left hand. She almost killed him once. He figured it was because she couldn't stand having her privacy invaded. They'd made a 'truce' that day, but had immediately gone against it. He still hadn't even bothered to hire a repairman for the front door. He'd drilled his own padlock device onto the door himself.

He was about to shut off the television when an exclusive story flashed onto the screen. Reno watched with slowly growing interest as the reporters delivered the story to the public.

"This is Travis Hilton reporting to you live from channel 6 news." the anchorman said, "The exclusive story today revolves around the suspicious death of Chance Martin, the heir to the fortune of real estate mogul Jefferson Martin. Jefferson Martin, as you may recall, passed away just two months ago after suffering a massive coronary.

"Upon the man's death, many legal disputes have been raised in regard to the last will and testament that he left behind. After two months of dileberation, Chance Martin, the young grandson of Jefferson Martin, was named the sole heir to the fortune and estate left behind by his grandfather.

"Authorities speculate that Mr. Martin, who was only twenty-eight years old and his time of death, that the motive for this senseless murder was money. There are no witnesses to the crime, but investigators say that Mr. Martin was gunned down in his home by, who they believe, as someone he was familiar with due to lack of forced entry on his residence.

"Chance Martin was not married nor did he have any children, but in his own will and testament, he named the sole beneficiary of his inherited fortune to his sister, Jaqueline Martin."

Reno laughed. He was familiar with Jaqueline, better known as Jackie, Martin. More like he was familiar with her antics. She was a wealthy socialite and known for being a party girl. She often made the headlines of the newspapers and tabloids and she changed boyfriends as often as she changed her underwear.

"Jaqueline Martin is feared to be in danger." the anchorman continued, "And she will be put in protective custody until a suspect is apprehended. Miss Martin is known for her party girl behavior and headline grabbing antics, but at the young age of 18, she is the youngest wealthiest person in the world right now."

"If only I had a rich grandfather." Reno said to himself, switching the television off.

He grabbed his ID badge and fastened it to his blue jumpsuit. He headed out the door and hit the street running. He walked into the carwash to see Rude sitting in the office, the telephone glued to his ear.

"Yes, we're open until six." Rude said to whomever was on the phone.

"Yo." Reno said quietly.

Rude nodded his head and continued talking as he doodled on a Post-It. He pointed to a bundle of envelopes that was wrapped with an elastic. Reno took the bundle and looked through it. There was mail for him from some product manufacturers who wanted him to buy industrial grade products from them and use it at the carwash. He tossed them into the trash.

An envelope with no return address caught his eye. He tore it open curiously and pulled out a letter that was folded into three segments. His green eyes scanned the paper with interest. It was a job offer from a man named Bradley. He was supposed to protect none other than Jaqueline Martin for a week until the federal agents came to place her in protective custody.

A number was scrawled at the bottom of the page. He pulled out his cell phone and went into the employee bathroom to call it. He locked the door behind him and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

**Meanwhile, at Tifa's apartment...**

Tifa looked through her mail with disinterest. Bills, bills, bills... credit card offer... hold on a minute... A plain white envelope with only her name on it caught her attention. There was no return address. She tore it open quickly and pulled out a letter that was folded into three segments.

Great, a job offer! Some man named Bradlet wanted her to protect some chick name Jaqueline Martin for a week until federal agents came to place her in protective custody. The name rang a bell, Tifa thought, but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it before.

A telephone number was written at the bottom of the paper.

Tifa pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number, waiting for an answer.

"Hello?"

**One week later...**

_"Is this Bradley?"_

_"Yes it is."_

_"I got your letter."_

_"Excellent. Interested in the job?"_

_"Perhaps... Details?"_

_"The fee is 200 thousand."_

_"Perfect."_

_"Meet me at the Z-Train station on Windsor Street next Thursday at 2:00 in the afternoon. More details will be given there."_

_"Done."_

Tifa dressed in a black cotton shirt with long sleeves and black cargo pants. She was also wearing a pair of aviators on her face. She'd strapped her K-bar into it's usual place and had brought along her dual Desert Eagles and an assault rifle with a pack full of new ammunition. She'd bought a couple of Kevlar vests, one for her and one for the assignment, and a first aid kit. She didn't neglect her nightvision goggles either.

She was waiting at the benches in the middle of the crowded Z-Train station for this 'Bradley' to show up with further instructions on the Martin assignment, but so far he hadn't shown up. She glanced down at her naval watch. It was 2:10. She hated when clients were late. She popped a piece of watermelon bubble gum in her mouth and chewed noisily.

"Well, well, well."

A voice behind her caused her skin to crawl. _No freakin' way..._

"Please tell me you're not here to meet a client." Tifa said before turning to face her biggest competition.

Reno sighed. "Well, it would appear that we both received a letter last week, huh? Plain envelope... no return address?"

She looked at him skeptically, "You sure you didn't bug my apartment again? Last time I had to check every inch of my apartment every day..."

Reno laughed and pulled the letter out of his jacket pocket. He tossed it into Tifa's lap and waited for her to read it through before continuing.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"Damn!" Tifa stomped her boot down angrily. "I cannot _believe_ that I will have to work with you!"

Reno sat down beside her on the bench and sighed. "Not exactly what I was hoping for either."

Tifa slid in the opposite direction a few inches.

"But," Reno continued, "With 200 thou on the line... I think I can deal with _anything_."

Tifa groaned. Reno did have a point there. She hadn't seen a figure like that in years for any assignment.

"So this guy's late, huh?" Reno asked, trying to make small talk.

"Well, gee, let's see..." Tifa looked at her watch, "The client said 2 p.m. and it is now fifteen past... What do _you_ think?"

Reno looked at her, incredulous. "Are you always this much of a bitch?"

"Are you always this much of a moron?"

He clucked his tongue. "Forget it. Why did I even bother trying to talk to you?"

"I'd prefer that you didn't." Tifa said, "I'll have to deal with hearing your voice every day until the job is completed so... save the conversation for then, okay?"

"Whatever!" Reno rolled his eyes.

Just then, a man wearing a Scala cap and a tan overcoat approached them. He said nothing, but sat in the space between them on the bench.

"Bradley?" Tifa whispered.

The man nodded. "I need you two to go outside and take cab number 431 to the Midgar Public Library, okay?"

Reno and Tifa stood and began walking out to the street. Neither of them said a word until they entered cab number 431. Tifa instructed the driver to take them to the library and he began driving north. It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the library due to the traffic in the center.

The cabbie didn't ask for a fare, he just shut his lights off and drove off down the street. Tifa and Reno walked up the stairs and waited at the front door. There were about eight stone pillars at the top of the staircase and they supported a large stone extension of the roof that acted as an awning to shelter civilians from different weather conditions.

Reno leaned against one of the pillars and eyed Tifa with a smile. Her hair was long, to her waist, and she didn't have it pulled up in a braid or a pony tail. She'd just left it hanging loose. Shorter strands framed her face. She looked and saw him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"What the hell do you have in that bag?" he asked, chuckling, "A bazooka?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's my assault rifle and... Why the hell is it any of your business?"

He held his hands up defensively. "I just like to pack light." he tapped an area near his waist and she recognized the handle of his electric stick holstered to his belt.

"Can you actually kill a person with that or do you just like to shock people with your stupidity?" she asked, raising a well-groomed eyebrow.

"Tifa, I can kill a person with anything. I'm resourceful like that." he sighed, "Besides, I don't prefer to use guns. Too noisy."

"That's why man made the silencer." Tifa smiled icily.

"To each his own."

The pair watched as a cab pulled up to the curb. The man with the overcoat stepped out of the cab, didn't pay the cabbie either, and ascended the stairs to where they stood. He made a small gesture for them to follow him and they did as discreetly as possible.

When the trio reached a desserted stack, somewhere in the auto-biography section, the man known as Bradley stopped them and handed them both a manila folder.

"This is the info we have on Jaqueline Martin." Bradley said, "Go ahead. Read it, it's brief."

Tifa and Reno read the sheet on Jaqueline Martin. She was in police custody, for now, in a safe house on Stalwart Street. She was permitted to go about her life normally, but not without a protective escort. That's where Tifa and Reno came in. Basically, they were her bodyguards.

"How come this girl doesn't hire her own bodyguards?" Tifa asked.

Bradley smirked. "Listen, the Martin's are my best friends. Jackie is like a daughter to me. She's just lost her oldest brother and she's a mess. She needs the best. You both know that celebrity bodyguards are just bouncers who are allowed to pack."

"One question," Reno said, "Why do you need two of us?"

Bradley smiled. "We were told you two were the best in your league. Two heads are better than one after all."

Reno looked down. "I guess."

Bradley clapped a hand on Reno's shoulder. "So we'll see you at the safe house tonight?"

The pair nodded in acceptance.

"Great." Bradley lowered the brim of his cap, "Later."

Tifa stuffed her file on Martin into her backpack and started to walk toward the exit. Reno was hot on her heels. It seemed like a strange time to try and befriend her, but he figured he'd at least try considering that they were to be working together closely.

"Tifa?"

"Hm?" she turned to him.

"We have a couple of hours before 6... Why don't we go get a drink at the Green Dragon to kill some time?"

She looked at him quizically. Was he seriously asking her out?

"C'mon." he said, "It's on me."

Tifa smiled falesly. "I'll have to take a rain check."

And with that said, Reno watched her walk out of the library.

Later, at the Martin safehouse...

Tifa had already been at the safehouse for fifteen minutes-she'd arrived at 5:45-and Reno had yet to show up. The assignment was in her dining room eating dinner with a few uniforms from the police protection program. Tifa had taken one look at them and had found it to be no wonder why Bradley had hired two extra professionals to do the job. The guys from MPD looked a little green.

Reno made his entrance at 6:01 and Tifa decided to make it a point to rub his face in it.

"One minute late." She said, looking at her watch with a smirk, "One minute is all that's needed for a killer to take the assignment out!"

"Well in that case," Reno said, taking off his overcoat, "I'm glad you're here."

"Wish I could say the same for you." Tifa said, grabbing a newspaper off of the coffee table and sitting back in an armchair.

Reno was wearing black pants, boots, and a white dress shirt that he hadn't bothered to tuck in. He hadn't even bothered to button it up all the way. He looked really sloppy, Tifa decided with a grimace as she located the crossword puzzles in the paper and began filling in the answers with ease. Plus, he had a long, skinny rat tail that she couldn't stand.

She imagined taking a pair of scissors and hacking it off while he slept. This amused her and caused her to smile to herself. Reno was pacing back and forth and looked like he was searching for something to do.

"Whatcha readin'?" he asked suddenly.

She peered up at him through her long lashes. "I'm doing the crosswords, not that you'd have any idea what that is."

"Just so happens that crosswords are my game!" he beamed, "C'mon lemme show you."

Tifa rolled her eyes and handed him the paper before he started whining and begging. Cloud begging, cute. Reno begging, nauseating.

To her surprise, he sat at the couch, pen in hand, and completed the puzzle in fifteen minutes. He challenged her to look it over for errors and she was equally as shocked to find that it had none. He'd even spelled everything right.

"Well, I'll be damned." she said, "Looks like you _are_ good at something. Hey!" her eyes widened, "Maybe you're one of those idiot savants who is bad at everything and a prodigy at all the useless stuff!"

"I resent that." He said with a frown.

Tifa only chuckled. "Nah, that's even an insult to idiot savants."

"Wow!" he cried out, startling her a bit, "Can I ever just have a normal conversation with you without having you tear me apart?"

She seemed taken aback and for once found herself at a loss for words.

"It really wouldn't kill you to drop this four year grudge for a week and at least _attempt_ to make casual conversation with me."

Tifa remained silent. She just watched as he waited for her to respond. When she still didnt, he gave up with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

"Forget it." he said, grabbing his overcoat and shrugging it on. "I'll be outside checking the perimeter."

Tifa watched in amazement as he exited the house and slammed the door shut behind him. Maybe he was right. After all, she _had_ tried to kill him once. Maybe she'd been too hard on him. He _was_ only trying to pass the time. She stood up and told one of the uniforms that she'd be going out to check the perimeter and exited after Reno.

"Reno?" she called, "Where are you?"

The safehouse was nestled safely in a thickly settled neighborhood. It was perfect, there were plenty of witnesses around to report any strangers lurking about in the shadows. She figured that's why the MPD had chosen this particular location. She'd overheard a few uniforms talking about how the house had once been occupied by a couple of members of a Colombian drug cartel. Nice touch.

"Reno?" she looked down the dark driveway. Nothing there but a couple of black Yukon Denalis.

She turned and headed back to the front door. She leapt about ten feet in the air when she saw Reno leaning against the vinyl siding of the house, right beside the front door.

"Scared the shit out of me!" she hissed, "How did you get here?"

"You're supposed to notice when people are sneaking up behind you." he said flatly, never looking up at her.

"You're right, for once." she said. "Perimeter clear?"

"Yep." he looked up to the sky.

"Great..." she looked at him apologetically. "Hey, Reno... I... I can't believe I'm saying this... I'm sorry for being a bitch back there. You're right. We need to at least _try_ to get along otherwise we could end up seriously screwing this whole operation..."

"Don't apologize for being yourself."

"Ouch." she made a face, "Am I that bad?"

"Kinda!" he looked at her.

"Well... It comes with the job, I guess." she leaned against the house as well. "You know, I learned at a young age to never take crap from anyone or to get close to anyone in this line of work... especially my competition."

"And men?"

"Yeah, and men."

Reno laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" she asked defensively.

He stopped laughing. "For someone who 'never takes crap from anyone' you seemed pretty comfortable taking crap from that dude you work with at the bar."

"What _dude_?" she asked, feeling anger rising in her throat.

"Y'know... that dude with the spiky blonde hair."

_Cloud_. At this she felt her anger subside and embarrassment took its place.

"Yeah." Reno said, heading back into the house, "I'll be inside with Martin."

Tifa waited until she heard the door shut behind him and began punching the bannister of the front stairs. She punched and punched until a few tears fell from her eyes and her knuckles began to bleed.


	10. Trouble

CHAPTER NINE: Trouble

Tifa could have killed the kid herself. She'd been working for the socialite for three days and she'd already had to accompany her on shopping trips in the big cities, to the salon so she could put costly extensions in her hair, and to the gym so she could go to her Tae Bo classes with world renowned trainer, Gil Simmons.

To put it bluntly, the majority of her days involved her driving around in the back of a limo listening to the socialite chat away on her cell phone while the radio blasted bubble gum pop music that didn't make sense at all when the lyrics were actually listened to.

"Oh, the horror." Tifa said to herself, looking at her withered reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Rough day?"

Tifa had left the bathroom door open and Reno stood in the hallway, looking equally as exhausted as she did.

"The kid took me to the big city so she could buy 10 more designer bags and, like, 20 pairs of shoes..."

Reno laughed. "Makes you wish you could ask for another 300 thou, don't it?"

"Hah."

They went down the stairs and into the parlor where Jaqueline and Bradley were arguing quite heatedly. Tifa and Reno watched the 18 year-old whine and throw a tantrum like a two year old.

"I'm going! I don't care _what_ you say!" she shouted.

"Jackie, you need to start thinking about your safety!" Bradley said, "This is serious! You don't want to get hurt like Chance did, do you?"

"That's why you hired them!" the young girl pointed towards the mercenaries, "What good are they if I can't go to the biggest party in years?"

Bradley sighed. "You're acting like a child, Jackie. Your life is more important than any party!"

"I'm going!" she cried, her blonde extensions flying about her face. "There's nothing you guys can do to stop me!"

The three adults watched as the headstrung teenager stormed out of the room angrily. She stomped her feet on every stair as she ascended to the second floor of the safehouse. The slamming of a door upstairs signaled that she had locked herself in her room.

Tifa winced. "Kids."

Bradley looked at the two mercenaries apologetically. "Guys... I know she's a handful... but I need you to go to this party with her."

"What?" Reno was incredulous, "Hey, I take my job seriously, man! I don't go partying while on duty."

"Yeah!" Tifa said in agreement, "If the brat doesn't care about her own life, why should we?"

Bradley shot her a look. "That _brat_ is my family." he said defensively, "And you _will_ go with her or I'll find someone else who wants your 200 thou."

Tifa laughed nervously. "Right. I'm sorry. Whatever you say."

Bradley left the safehouse, slamming the door behind him.

"Talk about not taking crap from any man!" Reno joked.

Tifa elbowed him hard. "Shut it."

"The least he could've done is thrown in an extra hundred thousand gil."

"I agree!" Tifa said, exasperated, "I might end up killing this kid myself one day."

"I tell you... girls are nothing but trouble." Reno quipped.

**Later, at the Skin nightclub...**

"How did I find myself in this situation?" Tifa asked Reno, yelling over the loud music and shouting voices of the crowd that filled the club.

Reno casually checked out one of the half-naked, glow-in-the-dark painted trapeze dancers who hovered above the bar. His eyes were wide. "I dunno, Tifa, but it's not so bad in here..."

"Ugh, I can _ hear_ you panting like a dog." she groaned, "You're supposed to have your eye on the assignment."

"I have excellent periferal vision." He replied, waving at the dancer.

To Tifa's surprise, the dancer waved back and even winked at Reno. She gave her 'partner' a look. He shrugged innocently.

"I can't help it if I'm a chick magnet."

"You're a pig! You're an unbelievable pig!"

Reno laughed to himself and looked across the club where their assignment was dancing on one of the tabletops in the lounge with her friends. Tifa rolled her eyes.

"To be young and rich..." she said.

"I don't think she gets the idea that someone's out to kill her." Reno said, raising his brows.

"That's because no one has ever told her that she can't do something before." Tifa said, "I bet her parents let her do every single thing that she wants to do. Hell, if she wanted to buy Brazil, they'd probably let her!"

"Hm." Reno nodded in agreement.

His eyes had focused on an older looking guy who had just entered the club. He was a strange contrast to the group of twenty-somethings who had gathered to party the night away. Reno wasn't sure what his intentions were here, he could've just liked younger women, but he decided to keep his eye on him none the less.

"Twelve o'clock, black motorcycle jacket and combat boots." Reno said to Tifa.

"Got him." she said, "He's a little old for this crowd, huh?"

"Definitely. Far as I know, he's alone."

"Probably got someone on the inside." Tifa speculated.

"Let's get closer to the assignment." Reno suggested.

They maneuvered their way through the crowd of rowdy club hoppers and stood at the bar that was closest to where the assignment was table dancing with her friends. Reno couldn't help but notice how close of an eye the older man was keeping on his assignment.

"I'll stay by the entrance." Tifa said, "You have your mic and earpiece?"

Reno showed her that he did. A small microphone was clipped to the collar of his shirt.

"Good. Turn it on and we'll communicate through that. Stay here."

"Ay, ay, Captain." Reno joked.

Tifa shot him a look. "Screw this up and I'll hunt you down like the dog you are."

"Bet you will."

Reno stayed by the bar while Tifa headed toward the front entrance. The fire exit was across the nightclub and only opened from the inside. It was also alarmed so no one would be able to go out or come in without setting it off and summoning the fire department.

She spoke to Reno through her microphone. "No drinking." she said.

"Not on the job." Reno said back.

Tifa shifted her eyes from the older man and back to the assignment. He didn't appear to be carrying a weapon, though there were no weapon detectors at the door. That fact made Tifa extremely nervous. Any one of these people could be out to get Jaqueline.

A tap on her shoulder surprised her out of her trance. She found herself face to face with none other than Cloud Strife. He looked surprised to see her there... almost as surprised as she was to see him.

"Tifa? What... Why are you here?" he asked.

She could smell alcohol on his breath and he appeared quite inebriated. "Cloud? Um... I'm here with, uh, a friend."

"Really? I didn't think you liked places like this."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me." She checked back on the assignment. She had lost sight of the older man. "Dammit!"

"What? You don't look happy to see me." he said.

"Not now, Cloud. I'm busy." She pushed him away with one hand.

"What the hell? Doing what? You don't _look_ busy!" Cloud frowned at her, "Who are you here with anyway?"

Tifa ignored him and spoke to Reno through her microphone. "Reno? Do you have a visual on the older guy?"

"Thought you were watching him." Reno replied.

"Reno?" Cloud echoed, "Who the hell is that?"

Tifa continued to ignore him and she craned her neck to get a better look of the crowd. Reno was standing on a barstool, trying to find the older man. He hoped that the guy had just left. He saw Tifa waving at him over by the entrance. She was standing beside that blonde guy that she worked with from the tavern.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Reno asked her through the mic.

"I don't know!" Tifa hissed, "But we need to get the kid off the dancefloor now."

"Who are you talking to? Who are you waving at?" Cloud asked, persistend bastard that he was. He followed Tifa's gaze to a redheaded guy who was standing ontop of a stool at the martini bar in the center of the club.

"Who is he?" Cloud asked defensively.

"No one!" she said, pushing through the sea of people so she could escort Jaqueline off of the dancefloor and take her somewhere safe.

"You don't wave at no one!" Cloud said, following her. "Don't walk away from me, Tifa!"

"Cloud, please!" she turned to him, "Just... He's just a friend!"

"Just a friend, huh?"

"Who are _you_ here with, Cloud?" Tifa asked, rolling her eyes as she approached the teenager.

Jaqueline was already arguing with Reno, who was trying to pry her off of the dancefloor. Tifa shot her partner a stern look and he nodded. He wrapped his arms around the struggling teenager who immediately began kicking and hitting Reno with her fists.

One of Jaqueline's male friends stood in her defense. Tifa stopped him, looking pissed.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Tifa advised, "Take a seat, enjoy your party. Let the man do his job, okay?"

She pushed her vest aside and flashed her Desert Eagles in the kid's direction. His eyes grew wide and he sat back down in his seat. Tifa mouthed a thank you and followed Reno off of the dancefloor. Cloud was still following them.

"Tifa? Why are you carrying guns?" Cloud asked her.

"Cloud, I really can't talk to you right now." Tifa said, following Reno toward the exit.

"Yea, so buzz off." Reno said, glaring at Cloud.

"Let me go!" Jaqueline cried.

"What are you guys doing?" Cloud asked, perplexed, "Are you kidnapping this girl?"

"Cloud! Just... go dance with someone!" Tifa shouted.

Just then, the older man came bursting through the entrance. He had two other men with him this time. All three of them were carrying automatic weapons. Reno's eyes grew wide.

"Tifa...?"

"What?!" She whirled around.

"Let's go outside." The older man said.

"Can't do that." Tifa said, drawing her weapons and standing in front of Reno.

Reno set Jaqueline down on the ground and told her to stay behind him. "We can't let you hurt this girl."

The older man looked amused. He shared a hearty laugh with his partners.

"We're not asking you." he said to the two mercenaries. "We're telling you to get your asses outside, bring the girl, and we'll spare your pathetic lives."

Tifa stood her ground. Reno withdrew his electro-mag rod and it snapped to life.

"We don't wanna make a scene in front of all these people." The older man said, "They might get hurt."

"That's a risk we're willing to take." Reno said.

"Fine. Have it your way!"

The gunfire rang out loudly. As soon as the first shot was fired, people began scrambling towards the exits. The DJ at the booth abandoned his station but left his record playing. A popular techno song was playing loudly. Tifa and Reno dropped to the floor, bringing the girl down with them.

"Get her out of here!" Tifa ordered him.

"What about you?" Reno asked.

"I'm okay! Just get her safe!"

Tifa turned a table over and used it for cover. From behind the marble table, she fired two shots at one of the gunmen. She hit her first target perfectly and already took the count down to two. She sank back behind the table and made sure she had enough rounds in her clip to take out the others.

After cocking her weapon, she heard the fire alarm go off loudly. Someone had opened the fire exit doors. She looked up as the sprinklers turned on, showering the crowd with ice cold water. Red and white lights were flashing all over the building. That, in addition to the pulsating strobe light, made the visibility almost zero.

Tifa swiped strands of wet hair from her face and got up on her knees again. She peered over the table top and squinted to get a better look. She couldn't see the other gunmen, not until the flash of a gun went off. She couldn't really see well, but she took a couple of Hail Mary shots in the direction of the flashing gun.

A few people screamed and she assumed that she took her target down. Now there was only one guy left. She tried talking to Reno through her mic again, but the water had damaged the ear piece. She peered out over the cover of the table again. The club was nearly empty. She couldn't see worth a damn in all the mess that surrounded her.

She slowly got to her feet and walked cautiously out onto the dancefloor. The parque was slick with water and littered with empty cups and cocktail napkins. A few half melted ice cubes littered the ground as well. She kept her gun cocked and ready to fire at anyone who approached her.

She wasn't expecting it at all. A shot rang out and hit her in the chest. Luckily, she was wearing her Kevlar vest. The force of the shot was so great it knocked her off of her feet. She landed with a thud on her back, water splashing around her. She was totally winded.

The older man, the one she and Reno had first spotted, stood above her with his gun in her face. She swallowed hard.

"Where's the girl?" he asked.

Her hand was still on her gun. He noticed.

"Drop it."

She loosened her grip on the Desert Eagle and the man kicked it away. It skidded across the wet dancefloor and stopped when it reached the carpet. Tifa stared up at the man along the barrel of his gun. He cocked it with one hand, the click caused her to jump in surprise. He could easily blow her head off from this angle.

"I'll ask again... Where's the girl?"

"Yo!"

Tifa and the man both looked over to where the voice was shouting from. Reno stood on the edge of the dancefloor, his electro-mag rod at his side. The kid was nowhere in sight. This angered the older man.

"Where's the girl!?" he shouted, "Tell me or I'll blow her brains out!"

Reno shook his head. "I can't tell you! You understand... We've both got jobs to do!"

Tifa just realized that she'd lost sight of Cloud in the chaos.

"Say good-by." The man said, his finger squeezing the trigger.

Tifa rolled out from under the barrel of the gun while grabbing the barrel with her hands and twisting it to the side. Reno was quick to act also, running at the man and striking him with his rod. The electricity mixed with the water sent sparks of blue flying in all directions.

Tifa struggled to her feet, her boots slipping on the slick floor. Reno continued to attack the man, slamming his rod down on the man's arms. His gun fell from his hands. Reno slid it away with his foot towards Tifa. She was on the gun in seconds, arming it and taking aim. However, she couldn't get a good shot because Reno and the man continued to fight, moving around the floor deftly.

"Hold still!" she shouted.

"Are you _crazy_?!" Reno said, losing his eletro-mag rod, "Take the damn shot, Tifa!"

"You want me to kill you too?" she asked.

"Just shoot!"

Tifa was about to take a shot, but she spotted a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. Her Desert Eagle was still lying on the carpet. She abandoned the larger weapon for the smaller. Lord knew she was a much better shot with a Deagle than she'd ever be with an AK-47.

She took a shot just the man was about to slam Reno's head onto the floor again. The first shot hit the man in the shoulder, a through and through that sent blood spattering across the redhead's face. The second hit him in the heart through his back, entering but not exiting.

Reno groaned when the man's lifeless body collapsed ontop of him. "Thanks for _finally_ taking the shot!" he cried out.

Tifa laughed. "Where's the kid?" she asked.

"Behind the martini bar with your friend." Reno called, "A little help?"

"I'll be right there." she smirked, "Don't go anywhere."

"Oh, very funny."

Tifa went to the martini bar and checked behind the bench. The girl and Cloud were huddled beside the mini fridge. They both looked relieved to see Tifa standing there.

"Thank God!" The girl said, standing and embracing Tifa, "Are the bad guys dead?"

"You bet." Tifa confirmed.

"That was intense!" She said, taking a seat at the bar. Her hands were still shaking and her pink dress was soaked. Her blonde mane was soaked and her expensive hairstyle, ruined.

Cloud took a step toward Tifa, looking from her eyes to her gun and back again.

"Cloud..."

"What did you do, Tifa?" he asked softly.

"It's... difficult..."

"She just saved your ass is what she did!" Jaqueline said.

"Was I talking to you?" Cloud glowered at the teen. He looked back into Tifa's eyes. "Did you kill those men?"

"I... I had to. They were going to kill us."

"Where did you learn how to use a gun, Tifa?"

"Um... where's the other guy?" Jaqueline asked, referring to Reno.

"Oh my gosh!" Tifa cried, "Reno!"

She left Cloud's question unanswered and ran back to the dancefloor to help her partner wrench a 250 pound dead body off of him.


	11. Could Have Been Friends

CHAPTER TEN: Could Have Been Friends

"Hey... I suppose I should thank you."

Tifa turned to look her partner in the eyes. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Reno scratched the back of his neck, "That guy was a lot tougher than I thought he'd be."

She smirked. "He was a lot bigger than you, too. Look at you... you're thin as a toothpick! He could've snapped you in half if he wanted to."

"Well," the redhead removed his jacket and tore away a section of his blood-stained sleeve to reveal a deep wound in his bicep, "Then it's a good thing you were there to put him down before he did."

"You're welcome." Tifa said finally.

To Reno's surprise, there wasn't a hint of smugness in her voice.

"That's a pretty deep wound." she continued, "You're gonna need stitches."

"I don't like hospitals." he pointed out.

Tifa stood up and went into the kitchen. They'd been back at the safehouse for about an hour already and after putting the girl to bed and getting her all cleaned up, they'd taken seats in the parlor to get cleaned up themselves. She pulled a few sheets of paper towel off of the roll on the countertop and put it under the tap for a few seconds until it was soaked. She wrung it out a bit and returned to the parlor to attend to Reno.

"Here. Clean it up." she handed him the towel.

"Thanks." he took the towel from her and pressed it against his wound.

"You know," Tifa said, digging into her duffel bag, "You weren't so bad yourself."

"I know."

"Well... way to be modest." She pulled the first aid kit out of her bag and knelt down on the floor beside Reno's chair, "Here. Lemme take a look at that."

Reno winced when Tifa swabbed the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, flushing out the wound. She pulled out a tube of anesthetic gel and rubbed it onto his flesh. She then pulled a black plastic thread through a sterilized and curved needle.

"Wait... Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked nervously.

Tifa gave him a look. "Every good merc should know how to dress his/her own wounds."

"So... walk me through it." Reno said, "What better time to learn than now?"

"Okay, well... As you witnessed," Tifa pierced Reno's flesh with the needle and pulled the thread through until the knot at the end was reached, "You should flush out the wound with alcohol or saline.

"Then, you could rub a local numbing agent around the area. Unless, of course, you can handle the pain. Some people use this gel when they go get ink done."

"Really? Didn't think you knew anything about that." he said, surprised that he couldn't feel much of what Tifa was doing.

"Well, you learn something new every day." she paused, "Then you thread the needle... and it's just like sewing from there on out."

Reno watched with growing interest as Tifa finished up. She knotted the thread at the end of the wound and searched through her kit for a pair of scissors. She cut the excess thread and put her things back inside the kit. She looked into Reno's eyes and smiled.

"There."

"Wow." Reno looked at his arm, "That wasn't bad at all."

Tifa stood. "Nope! Now, when you take a shower you should cover that up with garbage bag or something... Water could loosen the stitching and then we'd have to go through all that again."

"Good to know."

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Tifa stretched, "Think you can hold down the fort 'til I get back?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Be back soon."

She ascended the staircase to the second floor after she'd grabbed a new outfit from her duffel bag. She walked down the hall and entered the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and began to disrobe. An oval-shapped, ornate, full-sized mirror stood in one corner of the room beside the window. It was a nice bathroom, she decided, large and quaintly decorated. Someone had even put a large potted plant in a nice sunny spot beside the window, across from the mirror.

Tifa observed her naked form in the mirror for a moment. A network of silvery scars ran like a roadmap across the otherwise smooth, porcelain surface of her skin. Her physique was athletic; her arms and legs were toned and muscular and her stomach was flat and firm. Her breasts were a bit on the large side considering her average-sized frame, but they were all natural. She wasn't into plastic surgery or implants.

A small tattoo of a black rose surrounded by thorny vines rested low, very low, on her hip. No one had seen her tattoo yet, with the exception of Cloud. She sighed and stood underneath the steady stream of steamy hot water. She allowed the heat to penetrate to her weary muscles. She sucked in a breath as the pressure from the water affected the fresh bruises that she'd received in the night's chaos.

Meanwhile, Reno sat in the parlor while he waited for Tifa to finish up in the bathroom. He was tired, but he'd trained himself a long time ago to stay awake and alert despite the body's natural urge to sleep. He noticed that the gel on his arm had started to wear off and he could now feel the pain of the stitched-up wound. He removed his boots and socks and leaned way back in the chair.

He sighed and found himself thinking about the scene at the nightclub. After Tifa had told him to get the kid out of there, he'd gone to the fire exit to leave at first. But he'd changed his mind and had gone back to the martini bar. He wasn't too sure Tifa could handle all three guys by herself. And he'd been correct in assuming that. He smirked to himself when he remembered Tifa taking a shot from behind the marble lounge table. She was shooting blindly, her vision was probably impaired by the lights and the water from the sprinkler.

It was a good thing Reno was a crack shot and had excellent eyesight. He'd taken the fatal shot to the second gunman after Tifa had missed hers. He didn't tell her, of course, because he was positive that she assumed she had taken all three gunmen down. He was a little surprised by his own actions. Normally, he would've been all over her about missing that shot, rubbing her face in the fact that she'd needed his backup more than she thought. But, for some reason, he hadn't even dropped a hint about this fact.

Truth be told, he was actually having a great time working with Tifa. Odd, he thought. She was supposed to be his arch rival, his biggest competition. She wasn't supposed to be his partner. What a strange turn of events that had taken place. Since they'd began this job, they'd been speaking to one another a lot more often. They could almost pass for friends...

"What am I thinking?" Reno asked himself, grinning.

"Who are you talking to?"

He turned his head to see who had addressed him. Tifa stood at the bottom of the staircase, towel drying her hair.

"Oh, uh, no one." he said.

"Got an imaginary friend to keep you company, Reno?" Tifa joked, walking into the parlor and placing the damp towel across the back of a chair.

"Whatever." he said simply.

Tifa pulled the sleeves of her black sweater over her hands. The neckline of the garment was large and exposed her bare shoulders and two black bra straps. Her long, brown hair hung in loose, damp waves around her face. Reno found himself admiring her appearance, almost affectionately. He had to put the brakes on... now.

"Why is it so cold in here?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he replied.

"Look, if you wanna go shower or catch some Z's... I could stay here for you." Tifa offered.

"Yeah. Sounds great." Reno stood up, "Thanks."

Tifa only nodded in response.

**Two days later...**

Tifa double checked the date on her watch's display. The total day's she'd been working on the Martin Assignment was now up to five. That meant there were only two more days left, not including this one. It was already noon, so the day was half over. However, since the shootout at the nightclub, Tifa had tried to call Cloud on his cell maybe a thousand times. He hadn't answered her at all. She figured that he was still trying to put the events of that night together to make some shred of sense. But Tifa missed him.

She'd been standing in the parlor for the majority of the day, steaing glances out of the window and taking a few trips outside to check the perimeter. She tried doing everything to take her mind off of Cloud. This time, instead of sitting in the chair, she went into her pack and began to take apart her assault rifle. She took out her gun cloth and began wiping down each part with care. After she'd cleaned each part meticulously-it took about one hour-she spent the next fifteen minutes reassembling the rife carefully.

Reno was out with the kid. She'd been invited to brunch by some of her mother's friends and had gone to the wealthy part of town early this morning. Until now, they hadn't returned. Tifa, worried, had even contemplated calling Reno's cell, but had decided against it. He was a big boy, he could take care of himself... And if he couldn't, she would rub it in his face until the day she died.

After she'd finished up with her gun, she went into the kitchen where a uniform was eating breakfast. She said a quick good morning to him and grabbed a green apple out of the fruit basket on the counter. She shined the apple's skin on her shirt and took a big bite out of it.

She paced back and forth in the parlor while she devoured the tart fruit. She temporarily found her thoughts deviating from Cloud to Reno. He hadn't done half bad the other night. He'd even gone as far to protect Cloud. She'd also fully have expected him to whine and cry about the stitches she'd given him, but he'd handled it well. They'd been working well as a team, she decided. It was a pleasant surprise. She even thought that they could have been friends...

"What the hell am I thinking?" she laughed, shaking her head.

She threw away the half-eaten apple and reached into her duffle bag for her leather jacket. She put it on and alerted one of the uniforms that she'd be outside checking the perimeter again. She stepped out onto the front step and looked around. She reached into her jacket pocket and found a squished, soft-pack of menthol cigarettes. She'd been toting around the same pack of cigarettes for about a year and a half and was surprised that they hadn't been crushed yet.

She wasn't a smoker, really. She just needed a cigarette every now and then when the going got rough. She put one of the limp cigarettes between her lips and lit it with a match. She took a long, hard pull on the butt and held the smoke inside her lungs for a minute before exhaling it into the fresh morning air.

The air quality wasn't so bad this morning. She anticipated that the humidity and mugginess would return sometime around 11 o'clock. She took another drag on the cigarette and thought about Cloud again. Why did he always play these games with her? She remembered how jealous he'd sounded when he'd discovered that she'd been at the nightclub with Reno. But, then again, she knew he didn't care for a committment with her. It was just his way of dangling her along by a string. Bastard!

She was surprised by the sound of approaching vehicles. She spotted Martin's black Lincoln Townecar coming up the street. She finished her cigarette and retreated back inside the house. She went into the kitchen and washed her hands.

Reno got out of the car and rolled his eyes. There was nothing more tedious than sitting through brunch with a bunch of upper-crust, stuck-up old cronies who loved to gossip about their friends behind their backs. Except, maybe, for watching them play a few rounds of bridge afterwards. He actually didn't even think the girl was having a good time there. Later, she'd said it was something her mother dragged her in to.

He actually found himself thankful that he wasn't in her position. After he opened the car door for the girl, he followed up to the front door and watched her back until she was safely indoors. She thanked him (she'd been doing that a lot lately) and went upstairs to her room. The smell of fresh coffee caught his attention. He saw that Tifa had just finished pouring herself a mug of the beverage.

"Got enough in there for me?" he asked, joining her.

"Plenty." she replied, adding cream and sugar to her batch.

Reno looked at her curiously. "You smell like an ashtray." he stated.

She blushed. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."

To her surprise he laughed. "Sorry."

"No problem. It's a disgusting habit."

"Wouldn't have pegged you for a smoker." he said.

"Yeah, well I'm not." She leaned against the counter.

He gave her a look.

"Well, not really." she continued, "I just carry a pack around in case of an emergency."

"Stressed out?" he asked, rummaging around in one of the cupboards for the Styrofoam cups.

"You might say that." she said, looking down.

He cleared his throat as he poured coffee into a cup. "Well, I might bum one off of you."

She looked at him curiously.

"Brunch with the cronies. Oh, and then a few riveting games of bridge." he raised his brows and took a sip of his coffee.

She laughed, almost spitting her coffee out everywhere. "You have my sympathy."

Reno smirked and took another sip of the hot beverage. "So... how is your friend?"

"Who? Cloud?"

"Yeah, whatever his name is. He looked pretty shocked to see you toting a couple of Deagles and taking out three professional gunmen."

"Hm." Tifa stared straight ahead, "I haven't heard from him. Been trying to call him for the past two days."

"Some guys just can't handle when a woman is stronger than they are."

Tifa scoffed. "That's Cloud, all right. His ego is even bigger than yours."

"Hey!" Reno said, "Why the hostility?"

"Sorry." she said, "But you do have an ego."

"I'm a guy. I'm entitled."

"Good point."

Reno paused. "Just remember that there are some guys who like strong women like you."

Tifa took a long, hard look at him. "Are you hitting on me?"

Reno laughed nervously. "You wish."

She elbowed him hard, causing him to spill some of his coffee on his shirt.

"I just don't know why I let him of all people walk all over me." she continued after a brief pause.

"You don't have to talk about this anymore if you don't want to." Reno said.

"I know." she drank some more of her coffee. "I guess I was just looking for a reason to stop doing what I'm doing."

"You mean you don't wanna be a merc anymore?"

"It's not that I don't wanna be a merc anymore." she sighed, "It's more like I feel like I was meant for more... like maybe, um, I don't know. Having a family and a normal job... Something like that."

He didn't say anything. To be honest, he was rather shocked to hear her speak so openly to him.

"Don't listen to me." she laughed, "I don't know what I'm talking about half the time."

Reno decided to just let her go and be by herself for a while. To be honest, he was kind of worried that if he continued talking to her about her personal conflicts, then she would clam up again and start picking on him again. He watched her pace back and forth in the parlor until she finished her coffee.

"I'll be right back." she said, pulling out her cell phone.

"Okay." Reno called back.

Tifa went upstairs and stood in the hallway. She leaned against the wall and dialed Cloud's number. One ring. Two ring. Three rings... His answering service picked up on the fourth ring. She cursed to herself and waited for the message prompt.

"Hey, Cloud, it's me again." she said softly, "I was hoping I would be able to talk to you about the other night, but you never answer the phone for me anymore. Is something wrong?" she paused, blinking tears from her eyes. "Well, I guess I'll see you when I get back to work. Bye."

Tifa didn't notice that Reno had witnessed her record her message. He saw her eyes fill with tears and decided it would be better to leave her alone for a while. He tiptoed quietly back down to the parlor and grabbed his jacket. Now was a better time than ever, he decided, to check the perimeter. He really needed the air.

Tifa regained her composure and descended the stairs again. She hoped that her eyeliner hadn't smudged much from the tears she'd shed. The last thing she wanted was for Reno to see that she'd been crying.

But he wasn't there when she entered the parlor. The uniform in the kitchen told her that Reno was outside doing a perimeter check.

"Again?" she asked.

"I know." the young, blonde officer agreed, "You guys seem to be doing that a lot."

Tifa gave him a stern look. He shrugged and went to sit in the parlor. She walked out onto the front steps of the house to see Reno chatting with one of the officers who was positioned outside. She was about to go back in, but Reno noticed her and stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey. You got a cigarette?" he asked, approaching her.

"Oh, yeah..." she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cigarettes. "They're menthol. Hope you don't mind."

"Nicotine is nicotine." he said with a shrug as he placed the butt between his lips.

Tifa handed him a book of matches that she'd taken from the Green Dragon Tavern. He lit up and took a nice long pull on the cigarette.

"So, that guy..." Reno began.

"What about him?" Tifa asked, knowing who he was referring to.

"Is he your boyfriend or something? The only reason I ask is because of the way you talk about him some time..." he paused, "It seems like you guys have a, well, an intimate relationship..."

"He's not my boyfriend." Tifa confessed, "But I wouldn't mind if he wanted to be."

"Hm." Reno exhaled; a stream of smoke billowed from his mouth and into the air.

"What about you, Reno?" she asked, "Do you have a social life?"

"Of course I do."

"Oh? Do you meet a lot of interesting motorists pumping gas at your day job?"

"First of all, they're called _gas station attendants_." Reno said matter-of-factly, "And second, I work at a carwash. I'm the manager."

Tifa stifled a laugh. "Nice. What about a girlfriend? Guy like you must have one or two... maybe more?"

Reno shook his head, finishing his cigarette and stubbing it out with his boot. "No girlfriends." he said. "Too much of a hassle."

"You? Or them?" Tifa joked.

"Ha ha." he sighed, "I just haven't had time to really get to know anyone, that's all."

Tifa nodded. "You don't seem like the type of guy who would settle down, stick to one girl."

He smirked. "What's with all the questions, Tifa? You interested?"

"You wish!" she pushed him. "I'm goin' inside."

"See ya."

Tifa entered the safehouse again and went into the kitchen. Directing her attention towards the fridge, she decided she was hungry again. She opened the refrigerator door and took a good look at its contents.

"Let's see..." she muttered to herself, "Leftover Chinese... Ew... block of extra sharp cheddar... couple of Miller High Lifes..."

Reno walked back into the house and was just walking past the kitchen when he noticed that Tifa had her head buried inside of the fridge. He snuck a look at her ass while she wasn't looking and grinned mischeivously to herself. She wasn't a bad looking chick, he decided. She had a great body for sure, he only wished her attitude matched her appearance.

"Hungry?" he asked.

Tifa, surprised, raised her head quickly and it smashed into the roof of the refrigerator's interior.

"Ow." she winced, rubbing her head. "Found some low-fat yogurt." she held up a carton of yogurt.

"Hope it was worth the pain." He joked, "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Yeah... How was that perimeter check?" she smiled.

"It was clear. For, like, the hundredth time."

"Hm." she began rubbing her head again.

He looked at her for a minute. Her hair had dried since the morning and it had air-dried in soft waves that hung long around her shoulders. He reached out on an impulse and rubbed her head where a red bump had begun to form.

"Does that hurt?" he asked.

She paused. "Yeah..."

Her heart skipped a quick beat. It was so fast, she barely even noticed it. But she did notice the feeling she had in her stomach. It was butterflies and they were fluttering like crazy. She swallowed, wondering why she was suddenly feeling this way in _Reno's_ presence.

Reno's fingers grazed the flesh by her hairline gently. Her skin was smooth and moist and her hair silky and soft. He could smell her scent from where he stood. He recognized that smell. Vanilla and Strawberries. He wondered why he suddenly found the scent of _Tifa_ so alluring.

They stood silent for a moment until one of the uniforms burst into the kitchen in search of yesterday's doughnuts.

"Well." Tifa took a step back, clearing her throat.

"Better get back to work." Reno said, withdrawing his hand and rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah. That's what we get paid for!"

The officer paid little attention to him and shoved a jelly-filled doughnut into his mouth.

As they went their separate ways, Tifa could feel her cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and something else that she dared not say or even think about.


	12. Undeniable

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Undeniable

Things had changed the last couple of days, Reno concluded. For one, it seemed like the girl had taken a liking to her new bodyguards. She made a point to apologize and thank them for everything they'd done for her. Secondly, Tifa hadn't spoken much to him since the other day in the kitchen. Reno wasn't sure of the exact reason why, but he had his own theory.

He was almost afraid to think about it, but there was suddenly this undeniable attraction between them. He couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago, they'd been at each other's throats. Hell, she'd even tried to kill him once a few years back. They hadn't spoken much the last couple of days, but a few stolen glances were all they really needed to relay their feelings.

Reno sat in his guest bedroom upstairs on the edge of the bed. He had just finished packing up his stuff because today was his last day here. The agents from the Protection Program were on their way already. They'd be arriving at 4:00 in the evening. Reno looked at the clock. It was already 3:00 p.m. He sighed and laid back on the mattress. He couldn't help thinking if things would go back to the way they had been, with Tifa trying to sabotage him and vice versa.

He heard a knock at his door. "Come in!"

"Reno?"

He sat up quick. Tifa was standing in the doorway. She smiled at him.

"Hey, Tifa. Come in."

She shut the door behind her and sat beside him on the bed. "All packed?"

"Yeah, figured I'd get a head start."

"Me, too."

"Bet you can't wait to get out of here and sleep in your own bed, huh?" he sighed, "I know I can't. Even though the heat in my apartment hasn't been on and it's always freezing in there."

"Home is home." she said, nodding in agreement. "Reno, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Shoot."

"Uh, this is gonna sound worse than it really is."

"What is it?"

"Well, you remember the Hitchcock assignment?" she fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Yeah." He laughed, "How could I forget?"

"Well, I just wanted to apologize for that."

"Why? The job got done, right?"

"Yeah, but the job was _yours_ not mine."

"Yeah, I knew that."

"I'm serious, Reno." she looked at him, "I shouldn't have been there."

"What do you mean?" he asked her, cocking a brow.

"One day while you were sleeping... I broke into your apartment." she began.

"Okay... You didn't take advantage of my sleeping form, did you?"

She laughed, then gave him a serious look.

"Okay, okay. No more jokes." he held up his hands.

"So while you were sleeping, I took your cell phone..."

"But I was never missing my cell phone."

"I know. That's because I had it cloned."

"You _what_?" he sat back.

"I cloned your cell phone!" Tifa confessed, "That's how I knew you were gonna be at Hitchcock's place. I heard the entire telephone conversation."

Reno stood up. "How long have you have you been listening in on my calls?"

Tifa pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Long enough."

"Wow. Until now?" he examined the cell phone with awe.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to get back at you for bugging my apartment."

"Hm." Reno made a face, "Not bad."

"Reno..." she sighed and stood, facing him. "I'm telling you this for a reason."

"What reason is that? You wanna rub my face in the fact that you got away with something for this long?"

"No, no." she shook her head, "Hear me out. I--I think we could call a truce."

"Where have I heard _that_ before?"

"I'm serious this time, Reno."

"How am I supposed to trust you? You probably think I'm a big sucker, huh?"

"Come on." she said, her eyes serious and dark. "I mean it. I don't want to fight you anymore."

"I have two options." Reno said, looking away from her, "I could believe you and you could follow through with what you're saying..." he looked back into her eyes, "Or I could believe you and you could turn around and try to kill me again."

"Yeah. I'm sorry for that, too." she laughed nervously, "Can we seriously call a truce?"

Reno thought for a moment. Could he really throw in the towel and miss out on all the fun he'd had trying to sabotage Tifa's career as a merc? She'd even told him that she didn't really want to be a merc anymore... well, not in so many words. He looked into her eyes. She was serious. She wanted to call it quits on their four year battle. Did that mean that he had won? He didn't bother to ask her. She'd probably go back on her decision just to spite him.

"Sure." he shrugged. "Why not? I can be good if you can."

Tifa nodded with a smile. "Great. Because I would hate to have to kill you one day."

They shared a laugh.

"Okay." she said, "I'm gonna go say good-by to the kid. You comin'?"

"Yep. Just give me a minute."

After Tifa left, Reno wondered about her motives for wanting to call a truce. The fact that he hadn't even discovered that she'd cloned his cell phone amazed him. She really was a good merc. Not as good as he was, but damn good. He hated to admit it, but she actually had a fighting chance. The only thing about her that kept her from being the best was the fact that she wasn't sure what she wanted or where she wanted to be.

Reno, on the other hand, was absolutely sure of what he wanted and where he wanted to be in ten years. He wanted to be the best merc in the game making the big bucks. Hopefully business would pick up or he'd get more jobs like the Martin assignment and he'd be able to drop the carwash completely. He would have made Caleb, his mentor, proud.

**Later...**

Tifa was outside the safehouse waiting for her cab to approach. She had her duffel bag on the ground beside her and her backpack slung over her shoulders. The guys from the program had just taken Jaqueline Martin away to spend some time in hiding until her brother's killer was apprehended. It had been an easy job overall, with the exception of that one night at Skin, and Bradley had given her and Reno both their pay already.

She sat down on the curb of the sidewalk and stared into the setting sun. The sky was flushed with shades of gold, rust, and pink. The few clouds that hovered in the sky resembled powder pink cotton puffs. It was a gorgeous sight that made her crave the ocean. She loved the way the sunset reflected off of the waves, glittering like a thousand stars against a deep blue backdrop.

Reno had been staring at her from the doorway for a few minutes now. She remained oblivious to his observations. He admired the way the sun's rays glistened from her long chocolate locks, bringing out the reddish undertones. It was like burgundy silk flowing down her back. How come he hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before?

He shook his head. He was going crazy. He decided to join her on the curbside. He picked up his bag and carried outside. The breeze was soft and smelled sweet like an orchard. The wind kissed his flesh lightly, feeling like feathers carried in the wind. He apprached Tifa's sitting form quietly, startling her when he addressed her by her name.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." he apologized.

"It's okay. I was just so deep in thought."

"It's really beautiful out."

"I agree. Wish I could watch this sunset from the beach."

"If only we lived somewhere tropical. An island, maybe, surrounded by the Pacific."

"Mm. That'd be nice." Tifa smiled dreamily.

"Hey, Tifa."

"Yeah?"

"I seem to remember that you owe me a rain check on a drink at the bar."

She looked up at him. He was smiling back at her. When did he become so attractive?

"Is it still on you?"

"Of course. Not like you need me to cover you with your newly fattened pockets."

"Yeah, but it's the right thing to do."

"Picking up the tab is another thing that I am entitled to as a guy." Reno pointed out.

They took Tifa's cab to the Green Dragon Tavern where Tifa promised him a discount on his full tab. She paid the cab fare, despite Reno's protests, and they walked inside the crowded bar. It was early for the tavern to be so busy. It was only 5:30 and the rush didn't usually start until 6:30 sometimes even 7:00. She had agreed to come to her place of employment because she was positive that they would get half off on their bill and she was hoping to run into Cloud and see what his whole deal was.

Tifa and Reno sat at the bar, on the two stolls at the far right end. The jukebox was playing "18 and Life" by Skid Row. A few guys dressed in flannel were loving it. Reno watched them for a moment, amused. Tifa, on the other hand, was busy looking for Cloud. She finally spotted him at the same time that he had spotted her.

To her surprise, he actually approached her right away. He gave her a strange look when he saw that she was sitting beside Reno.

"Tifa. What's up?" he asked, looking at Reno.

"I've been trying to call you all week! What's up with you?" she asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Sorry. I was busy this week... covering your shift."

"Yeah, but you could've gotten back to me." she insisted.

"What would you like to drink?" Cloud asked, ignoring her.

"Um, just get me a shot of Tequila." Reno said.

"You, Tifa?" Cloud looked at her.

"Glass of red wine." she said, "And then I want to talk to you."

"Be right back."

"Wow." Reno said, sitting back, "He seems like a total jag-off."

Tifa said nothing until Cloud returned with their drinks.

"Will you talk to me a minute?" she asked him.

"What's on your mind?" Cloud asked her, "If it's about us I'd rather not discuss it in front of your new friend."

"Hey." Reno said, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here, okay yo? That just ain't good manners."

"I apologize." he glanced at Reno before continuing with Tifa, "Let's discuss this later, huh?"

"Cloud..."

"Maybe you could come by my place later." he suggested, "That is if you aren't busy later..." he gestured suggestively towards Reno.

"Man," Reno stood up, "Where'd you learn your manners, huh? You're not supposed to speak like that to a chick, man, what's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem with you, man." Cloud insisted.

"Then stop bringing me into your little lover's quarrel. I don't like it, all right?"

"Dude, relax. I'm not trying to start anything with you." Cloud said, frowning, "This is between Tifa and I."

"Well, Tifa's a friend of mine, okay? I don't like what you're insinuating with your tone."

"A friend, huh?" he looked at Tifa again, "This guy's just a friend? First you're at the club with him and now here? And you're just friends?"

"Cloud!" she shouted "Stop it!"

"Level with me," Cloud said, looking at Reno, "Is she sleeping with you, too?"

"What the hell, yo?" Reno asked, leaning forward, "What is your problem?"

"My problem is with her, not you." Cloud said, face to face now with the angry redhead.

Reno grabbed the collar of Cloud's shirt. "Do you want me to kick your ass?" he hissed.

"RENO!" Tifa shouted, "Leave him alone! Coming here was obviously a mistake."

By now, the jukebox was playing "I Go Crazy" by Paul Davis. A few couples had taken to the dancefloor; the lights from above danced around them to the beat of the song. Tifa's eyes had begun to well up with tears, but she pleaded with Reno to let go of Cloud. That alone was the reason that Cloud was allowed to get off without a broken nose and two black eyes tonight.

"Let's take off then." Reno said, releasing his grip on Cloud's shirt.

Tifa looked sadly at her blonde lover. "I'll call you later... okay?"

"Fine." he said, nodding.

Tifa had to push Reno out of the bar because he was so fuming mad at Cloud. One, for ruining his first night off for a week and second, for messing with Tifa. The pair hit the street arguing audibly. The sky no longer looked peaceful. In fact, it indicated rain was on the way. Possibly with thunder and lightning.

"That was lame, Tifa." Reno said, straightening the collar on his jacket. "Why would you want to talk to someone who speaks to you in such a way?"

"Because... You wouldn't understand." she said, walking in the direction of her apartment.

"I wouldn't understand what?" Reno asked, hot on her heels, "That a girl who talks so much about not taking crap from guys just lays down and lets her lover shit all over her--"

"That's enough!" she shouted, wheeling on Reno and cutting him off midsentence.

He frowned. "Fine. That's what I get for defending you? I should've kicked that spiky-haired bastard's ass."

"You don't _need_ to stick up for me, Reno. I can do that myself."

"Really? Could've fooled me!"

"Reno, you made your point, okay." Tifa said sadly, "I guess I just have the worst taste in men, okay? But... I love him."

Reno felt a strange hurt settle over his heart. "Love, huh? If that's love... it sucks."

Tifa laughed at this comment. Rain fell in a light drizzle above them. Drops of dew formed on their hair and eyelashes.

"Where are we going?" Reno asked suddenly.

"My place." Tifa said, "You're not coming."

"Aw, why not? You owe me a drink!"

"You're not going to get into my pants, Reno. Not now, not ever." Tifa said bluntly.

"Come on, Tifa." he joked, "You look like you could use some release."

"Hah." she said, even though he had a point. It had been a while since she'd been with Cloud.

"Well, fine. You don't have to accept my offer of my body. But you could accept my company."

She thought for a moment. It would be kind of awkward to spend an evening without him since she was so used to having him around all the time.

"Come on. You gotta have some booze in your apartment. You're not _that_ much of a prude."

They arrived at Tifa's apartment building and she turned the key in the lock of the front door. "What makes you think I'm a prude?"

"I'm just playing." he said, "So can I come up? I promise I won't stay long."

"You better not." Tifa said with a smile.

They went up the stairs to the floor that Tifa's apartment was on. She unlocked the door and pushed her way in. The door groaned its protests as it swang open. She flipped the lights on and the apartment was illuminated by a network of hummin flourescent lights. One of the lights was on its way out, flickering on and off like a strobe light. It clicked obnoxiously loud.

"Where's the booze at?" Reno asked.

"You should know!" Tifa said, "You broke in, after all."

"Oh, yeah!" he grinned, "What's your poison?"

"Red wine." she called back, "I'm gonna go change my clothes."

Reno grabbed the wine bottle from the cabinet above the refrigerator. He bet Tifa kept her liquor there because it wasn't easy for her to get to and therefore it wasn't easy for her to go an a drinking binge. He grabbed the bottle of red wine for Tifa and a bottle of vodka for himself. He looked through her other cabinets in search of glasses. He pulled out two tall drinking glasses and filled them 3/4 of the way full.

When Tifa emerged from her bedroom, she was wearing flannel pajama pants and a thermal tee shirt.

"Whoa." she said, taking the glass from Reno, "This is way too much for me."

"C'mon you sissy." he teased.

Tifa grabbed the glass. "Fine. I'm just gonna go to bed after this anyway."

"That isn't necessarily a solitary pursuit." he said, grinning devilishly.

"I thought I made myself clear." Tifa said, "You're not getting into my pants, Reno."

"Too bad." he said, taking a huge swig of his vodka, "You don't know what you're missing."

Tifa laughed. "I bet you're still a virgin." she sat on her sofa.

"Why don't you give me the chance to prove that I'm not." he asked, raising a brow.

Tifa and Reno continued teasing each other and after two and a half glasses of wine, Tifa was feeling rather sleepy. Reno, on the other hand, was feeling the affects of four glasses of vodka and was feeling rather bold.

"So lemme ask you something." Reno said.

"Shoot." she said sleepily.

"Did you really mean it when you said you wanted to call a truce?"

"I meant it, Reno! God... haven't we been through this enough for one day?"

"So you seriously want to throw in the towel and leave me to reap the rewards or being the best in the game?" he asked boldly.

"Yeah. I don't even know if I'm gonna stay in this biz much longer." Tifa said.

"C'mon, Tifa." Reno said, "You could be the best, you know? You just really don't know what the hell you want from life."

She looked dreamy. "I know what I want. To have a family... be a mom, maybe."

Reno felt a pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. "Oh. Think your friend there will come around eventually? Ask you to marry him?"

Tifa blushed. "Maybe."

He couldn't hold it back. He laughed. She took it bad.

"What the hell?" she frowned, "Is that what I get for trying to end this four year war with you? You laughing in my face and stomping all over my feelings?"

"It's just funny to hear that from you. The guy hasn't answered your phone calls in weeks and he acts like a total dick when you confront him about it."

Tifa didn't say anything.

Reno felt anger growing inside of him. "Because, you know, now that we're cool and all it would be easy for you to get to the top. Hell, we could even help each other out. I never thought I'd say that, but... I would! Because, Tifa, let me tell you... You have talent."  
"You're just rambling." she said, "Because you're a little drunk."

"I am _not_." Reno lied, "I'm serious, Teef. We could make a great team."

She tapped her foot on the floor. It was getting late. She'd have to called Cloud soon.

"You're going to give up on this for him? For someone who doesn't give a shit about you?" Reno continued, standing up on wobbly knees and pointing at her. "Think about it, are you really being fair on yourself?"

"Give up on _what_?" she asked, "Are we even talking about the job anymore?"

"The job... Yeah, the job." he nodded, "Is that all this is to you?"

"What are you _talking_ about, Reno? I--I don't understand you." She was standing now, too. Mere inches from him she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Just stop!" Reno held up his hand, "I can't believe how stupid you are."

The sound of flesh striking against flesh reverberated in his ears. Tifa's hand had struck him so fast, leaving a red mark and a stinging pain across his cheek. His face had snapped to the left, sending his sunglasses flying from his head. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You have a lot of nerve to be calling me stupid." she said. "This coming from the king of stupid himself."

"Wow." Reno rolled his eyes, "That was mature! King of stupid, that's a great insult. Where'd you hear that one, Tifa? On a playground?"

"Ugh!" she shouted, "I can't _stand_ you! I can't believe that I actually thought we could be friends...!"

"Wait. Did you say friends?" Reno asked, "Why would I want to be friends with you, Tifa? You'd probably stab me in the back first opportunity you got."

"You're starting to make me regret not killing you a few years back!" she said.

"You wanna kill me?" Reno asked, "Bring it on." he raised his fists and took his defensive stance.

Tifa shook her head. "Forget it!" she shouted, "You know? You're a lousy drunk! Get out of here! This was a big mistake..."

When she walked by him to open the door and throw him out of the apartment, Reno grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She crashed against his chest and started pummeling him with her fists.

"Cut it out, Tifa!" he cried, grabbing her wrists in his hands.

"Let me go!" she hissed, "I'll kick you in the balls!"

Reno shook his head. "Don't! Just... just listen to me for a sec."

"You have _one second_."

Tifa swallowed a gasp as Reno brought his lips down on hers. Her eyes were wide in surprise. She tasted the vodka on his mouth. He was burning hot. She struggled to push him off of her, planting her elbows on his chest and pushing out. He wrestled her hands behind her back somehow and continued to kiss her. She bit down on his lower lip.

He screamed. "God damn it!" he shouted. His lip was bleeding.

She breathed heavily and just stared at him. He refused to give up, pushing her against the door with all his strength.

"Stop fighting me!" he said.

This time, it was Tifa's turn to kiss him. She surprised herself and him as her mouth crashed against his. He felt her open her mouth, allowing his tongue to slip past her lips. He loosened his grip on her wrists and moved his hands to her hips. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and kissed him harder. He responded by sliding his hands from her hips up to her breasts.

Tifa moaned into his kiss, rellishing the feeling of his hands on her body. She could feel the familiar heat of arousal gathering between her thighs. She had to stop this before it went further than she wanted it to go.

"Stop." she said, pushing him away suddenly. As if she'd just realized what she'd done.

He looked at her. He almost appeared guilty. "I--I'm sorry."

"It's okay... You're drunk." she shook her head and straightened out her clothes, "I don't know where that came from."

"Hm." he nodded, looking away.

"So, um... can we just forgive each other?" she asked.

"Sure. I suppose I could give you another shot." he shrugged.

"Great."

"All right." he said, "And what happened here..." he gestured with his hands, "Let's keep this between us."

"And hope it doesn't happen again..." she added.

"Yeah. Hope not." he laughed nervously.

But as Tifa tossed Reno out of her apartment, she couldn't help feeling that her attraction towards him had reached a whole new level. And now it had been confirmed.


	13. Taking Chances

CHAPTER TWELVE: Taking Chances

Reno woke up with a headache. He cursed himself for drinking so much on such an empty stomach. He cursed himself just as much for acting like a complete fool in front of Tifa last night. She probably thought he was a pervert. She'd probably never look at him again. If he'd been looking to get laid, he'd blown that chance out of the water he was sure of it. But, damn, had it been a long time since he'd been with a woman.

Truth be told, he'd put way more interest in his mercenary business than he had in personal relationships. Time and time again, he'd told himself that he was better off not getting involved with a woman on a personal level. The job was too dangerous and there was too much baggage involved with relationships. Being with a woman meant possibly falling in love with her then, maybe, having children with her. If this ever happened to him and he perished while on the job, it meant abandonment for his family and his kids. He couldn't risk it. The job was too important to him.

But as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he felt nothing but doubts. He wasn't so sure if he _didn't _want a relationship with someone. He wasn't so sure if it wouldn't be wonderful to be a father. Lord knows he had spent enough of his years alone in his cold apartment with no one to hold onto and no one to mourn him if he died. He had no one to carry on his legacy. His name would die with him.

He washed cold water over his face and gasped at the shock of it. Now he knew what Tseng had meant by him wallowing in his own self-pity.

Reno sat like a zombie on his couch for hours, ignoring the ringing of his cell phone and the beeping of his pager. He needed time to himself. He needed time to think. Maybe all this time it had been he who was unsure of what he wanted while Tifa had known all along that she didn't want to be trapped in this business forever. He sat back, covering his face with his hands.

Could he do it? Could he turn his back on all that he'd come to know? Would he disappoint Caleb if he did? God damn it, there were too many questions! Why the hell was he feeling like this in the first place? It's not like he was in _love_ with Tifa or anything like that...

But what if he _could_ love her? He certainly hadn't stopped thinking about her once since she'd booted him out onto the street last night. He swallowed hard. It was too late, probably. She probably had her mind made up about him. She said it herself, she didn't think Reno was the type of guy who would settle down with one woman. But he could, couldn't he? If he found the right one?

It was too much. He had to be sure. Gathering up his nerve, he put on his boots, grabbed his wallet and went out the door. He was a man on a mission with everything to gain...

And nothing to lose.

Tifa was back at work the next day, polishing the counter, the mugs, and the tabletops in the bar. She had been out of work one week and she hadn't missed it once. It was the same old shit every day; clock in, serve drinks, deal with drunken fools, put up with Cloud's crap, clean up, and clock out. Where were the rewards in this? Going home _alone_ with a lousy paycheck and a few hundred bucks in tips? Money wasn't everything.

She hadn't stopped thinking about Reno once since last night. Things had gotten complicated between them in a hurry. She was so used to thinking of him as a moron, that it was an unexpected turn of events to think of him now as a potential romantic interest. It made her head swirl with confusion. She needed some release. Something to clear her mind.

Tifa went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of tequila. She unscrewed the cap, pulled out a shotglass, and poured herself a shot. She tossed it back quickly. The beverage burned as it trickled down her throat. She pourd another shot and downed that one faster than the first, feeling numb.

"Are you planning on getting smashed before the rush?"

Tifa almost choked on her third shot when Cloud emerged from the back of the house.

"Why do you care?" she asked, frowning at him.

"Well because your competency is important for this business." He said, shrugging, "And... I kinda like you."

Tifa scoffed, poured, and downed a fourth shot. "Right, well you have a lousy way of showing it."

"Tifa." Cloud put his hand on hers, halting her before she could take a fifth.

Her face was burning, half because of the alcohol and half because of her frustration with her part time lover.

"What the hell do you want from me, Cloud?" she asked, "Tell me now, because I need to know!"

"I want you, Tifa."

"You've had me already." she said, "Is that all you want from me? Sex?"

Cloud seemed shocked by her sudden boldness. "Well, I _enjoy_ sex with you. Thought you enjoyed it, too."

"It's not just about _sex_, Cloud." she shook her head, "I gotta get to work for real. I didn't even clock in yet."

"C'mon Tifa." Cloud said, stopping her in her tracks, "Don't do this to me."

"You?" she was incredulous, "It's always about _you_, isn't it! What about _me_? Don't you give a damn?"

"Of course I do." Cloud said, "You know that I do."

"I don't feel like you do. I'm not gonna do this anymore with you."

"Don't do this to us." Cloud said softly, placing his hand gently on Tifa's shoulder.

She wriggled away from him and spiked her shotglass at the ground. Flecks of glass sprayed all around.

"Us! There is _no_ US!"

Cloud, angry, grabbed a hold of Tifa's wrists and wrestled with her until he had her pinned up against the counter top.

"Tifa! Calm down!" he cried.

"God damn you! I could kill you, you know!?"

"Is that a threat, Tifa?" Cloud asked.

"Let go of me."

"I know you'd never do anything to hurt me, Tifa." he released his grip on her wrists and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

"And I hope you know I'd never do anything to hurt you, either." he continued.

And he leaned down to kiss Tifa on her lips...

Reno walked into the florist's quite embarrassed. It had been years since he'd set foot inside one of these shops and he'd be damned if anyone he knew saw him in here. It wouldn't exactly be good for his tough guy image. He sauntered up to the counter, trying to conceal his embarrassment. The clerk at the counter looked him up and down once before continuing.

"Can I help you?" she asked meekly, looking a little scared.

"Yeah, um..." Reno scratched the back of his neck, "I'm, uh--I wanna buy flowers for... a girl. Well, not a girl. A woman."

The clerk smiled, relieved and somewhat amused. "Sure! Well, is she a friend or a girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah, she's a friend..." he laughed nervously, "Maybe... I don't know... I was hoping she could be more."

"Ah." the clerk stood up, grinning a satisfied grin, "I have _just_ the thing for you. Hold on one second."

"Okay." 

Reno took a look around the shop. It was cozy and quaint and, obviously, smelled of fresh flowers. Many different species of flowers in different pots and various arrangements lined the shelves. He was completely surrounded by flora. There were a few sentimental gifts and cards available, but he payed no mind to those. Hell, he wasn't even sure Tifa would like flowers.

The clerk returned carrying a plant in a nice little pot. The blooms on the plant were star-like and white in color. A pink ribbon was tied around the pot with and intricate bow in the front.

"Here. This is _perfect_ for you." the clerk said, beaming proudly.

"It's a plant." Reno said, grabbing the pot and examining it.

"I know."

"I wanted flowers. You know, like a bouquet?"

"Yes, but bouquets die fast." the clerk pointed out, "This is the white violet. It can be maintained. And the white violet flower means 'let's take a chance'."

"Really?" Reno asked, his interest piqued.

"Yes." the clerk smiled again, "It's perfect for your lady friend. This way you could tell her 'let's take a chance on love'."

That was all Reno needed to hear to be sold. He paid the clerk and left the florist, heading for his final destination...

Tifa heard the bell above the bar's entrance ringing, meaning someone had opened the door. She pushed Cloud away from her and turned to see none other than Reno standing in the doorway.

"Reno." she whispered.

The redhead looked completely heartbroken when he saw Tifa in the arms of her lover. She saw that he was holding a potted, flowering plant in his left hand. She didn't have a second to react because as soon as the scene had registered in Reno's mind, he was gone in a flash. Tifa felt her heart aching and the only thing she felt like doing at that moment was running after Reno and catching him before it was too late.

Tifa glared at Cloud through narrowed eyes. She drew back her hand and slapped him hard across the face. He fell back, knocked off balance by the force of the hit, and Tifa took the opportunity to dash out the door. She felt her lungs burning as she sprinted down the crowded sidewalk, searching everywhere for a sign of Reno.

"Reno!" she cried. "RENO!!"

_Damn, that little bastard runs fast!_

Tifa darted through a crowd of people waiting for a bus and slammed into someone. She fell backwards, her head slammed against the sidewalk so hard that her ears were ringing. She laid there on the ground for a moment as the sounds of the people shouting faded away. Her vision was shaky. She'd been completely rocked by the impact.

Reno stood over her and stared down at her through icy cold eyes. She stared back up at him helplessly, unable to speak much less move. He offered her his hand and she grabbed it. He helped her to her feet and walked her over to a bench so she could sit.

"I--I'm sorry, Reno." she stammered. "I--I d--don't know what..."

"Don't apologize to me, Tifa." he said, sitting beside her. He was still holding the plant in his hands.

She looked at him. Her eyes had welled up with tears, partly because of the crazy mix of emotions that flooded her mind and partly because of the pain she was feeling in her head.

"R--Reno... It was not what you think."

"Sure it was." He looked at her blankly, "It is what it is, Tifa. I'll be okay, though. I kind of saw this coming."

Tifa looked down at the flowers sadly. "F--for... me?"

He looked down at them too. "Yeah, just thought, y'know... to say thank you for saving my life."

Tifa smiled weakly and took the plant. "It's beautiful." she whispered.

"I know." he looked into her eyes once more.

They sat gazing into each other's eyes for a moment before Reno stood, clearing his throat.

"Better get going." he said, "Got some stuff to do."

He didn't even allow Tifa to speak before he took off running down the street. Tifa sat on the bench as her tears soaked the flowers in her lap.

Reno was lying in his bed in the dark when he heard the buzzer to his apartment ringing loudly. He groaned in frustration as he contemplated shooting the intercom box and silencing the infernal buzzing forever. But something made him get up and answer the call.

"Yo."

"Reno?"

"Oh, shit." he said to himself, lowering his head in disappointment, "What do you want, Tifa?"

"I wanna talk." Tifa said, almost pleadingly.

Reno swore to himself again... this time for being such a pushover. He pushed the button to allow Tifa to come up. Almost as soon as he'd done it, he regretted it.

"You are such a freakin'--"

The knock on his door came so quickly, he almost thought it might not be her. But when he answered the door, she was standing there. Her hair was drenched as was her denim jacket. Her eyes were swollen and red as though she'd been crying for hours.

"Tifa." he allowed her to enter the apartment before slamming the door shut.

"Reno...?" she murmured.

"What's up? You look like a half-drowned rat."

"Gee, thanks."

"What do you want?"

"To talk to you... about today... what you saw in the bar--"

"Is none of my business." Reno said, finishing her sentence and searching through his refrigerator for a beer.

"It isn't your business, this is true." Tifa said, removing her jacket and tossing it on the sofa. "But I want you to know anyway."

Reno turned to face her. She'd shed her jacket to reveal that she was wearing a white tanktop that showed off more of her skin than he'd hoped to see. The man in him, however, didn't object and he had to fight with his own body to keep it from betraying him.

"Okay, so then say what you gotta say." he said, taking a long sip of his beverage and keeping his eyes focused on hers.

"It's over." she said, relieved.

"What is?"

"This... thing between Cloud and I. I ended it."

"Didn't look like you were _ending_ anything." Reno scoffed.

"I _know_ what it _looked_ like, Reno!" she cried, "But I'm serious!"

"I saw you making out with him, Tifa. I'm not blind, for Christ's sake!"

"You only saw _him_ kissing _me_! You didn't see me slap him afterwards!"

Reno paused for a moment before chuckling. "Yeah, right." he shook his head.

"God damn it, Reno! I'm serious!" she took a few steps towards him. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know how I feel!"

"Well, how do you feel, Tifa?" Reno asked, raising his brows, "Because I feel pretty ridiculous right now."

Tifa sighed softly. She began toying with a choker-like, black necklace at her throat. He hadn't noticed she was wearing it until now.

"The violets." she murmured, "They were beautiful."

Reno felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, whatever..."

He didn't realize how close she'd gotten to him until he felt the soft warmth of her hand against his. He looked up into her eyes.

"Seriously." she smiled, "White violets... 'Let's take a chance'."

"How did you know...?"

"The tag on the pot said white violets, so I looked them up online." she blushed, "Were you trying to tell me something, Reno?"

"Maybe." he admitted, "Doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because--" he swallowed, "Don't look at me that way, Tifa."

"What way?"

"_That_ way!" he pointed at her, "That 'I want to get in your pants' way."

"Why?" she asked, taking one step closer to him.

"Stop. Right. There." He chugged the rest of his beer and tossed the bottle into the recycling bin behind him. "It ain't happenin'."

She placed her hands against his chest. "It doesn't have to be like that if you don't want it to be." she whispered, "Just let me stay here with you? Just for one night?"

He looked down at her with every intention of shutting her down the way she'd shut him down. But there was something in her eyes that he just couldn't resist. It was more than just a lustful desire that he felt... It was more like an aching need to experience something deeper with her. He was certain that she felt the same way. He didn't object to her request, instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

She kissed him first, a pleasant surprise for him. He kissed her back with the same intensity that she was kissing him. They continued hungrily plundering each others mouths. Reno pulled both of his hands through Tifa's damp hair; his fingers slipped between every strand of he chestnut locks. He pulled on her hair gently and she responded with a nibble to his lower lip.

When he felt like he couldn't hold it any longer, he hoisted her up by her haunches. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bedroom. When she hit the bed, she felt it was still warm from where Reno had been laying earlier. She could even smell his scent where it lingered on his sheets. He collapsed on top of her, his mouth crashing against hers, hot and moist.

She tilted her head back and allowed Reno to kiss the skin on her throat. She tugged on his hair as his teeth grazed against her flesh. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as his hands moved underneath her tanktop. She could feel his fingertips inching their way up, taking the fabric of the shirt with them. He pulled the shirt up over her head and buried his face in the space between her breasts.

Meanwhile, she clawed at his own shirt. Her fingers clumsily worked apart the buttons of the garment until there was nothing left to hold it onto his body. She slid the shirt off of his body; his warm flesh moved against hers creating a friction between them. It was then that Reno reached around and unclasped Tifa's bra. Her breasts sprang out of their confinement and he watched as her nipples stood erect in the chilly air.

He kissed her there softly, gently. His lips brushed against the most sensitive parts of her exposed skin, making her wish he would move a lot faster than he was. She giggled lightly when she felt his mouth settle over her navel. His hot breath had begun to tickle her skin. He kissed his way up to her mouth again and as his hips ground against hers he groaned in ectstasy.

"This is so crazy." she whispered, her eyes closed. "We're supposed to hate each other."

"I know." He responded, his mouth against her cheek, "You want me to stop?" 

"Hell, no!" she cried, laughing.

Reno got up on his knees and began the process of removing Tifa's jeans. He unfastened the button tab closure on the waistband of the pants and then pulled the zipper tab down; the teeth parted audibly as the tab made its way southward. She hoisted her hips off of the bed and allowed him to wriggle the tight jeans off of her. He eased out one long leg and then the other.

She took the time after he discarded her clothing on the floor to unbuckle his belt. She then unzippered and unbutton his own pants and he wrestled them off of his body. He kicked them away and bent down again to kiss her. She could feel the solid heat of his arousal against hers and she couldn't wait any longer. She needed him now.

He gasped a little as her fingernails scratched through the skin of his back. She was looking at him with an urgency; her eyes screamed for him to take her now.

"Reno..." she begged him, "Please..."

He somehow managed to remove his last article of clothing with one free hand, then using that same hand, he tore away Tifa's panties. She cried out when she felt him ease into her slowly. It was almost painful, she thought, as she felt herself tighten around him. He plunged all the way inside of her and stopped, looking at her before continuing.

He didn't say anything but, judging by his expression, she figured he was checking to make sure she really wanted this.

"I want you so bad." he leaned down so he could whisper in her ear.

"I want you, too." she said, "Don't stop."

With that, Reno began to thrust in and out of her, grinding himself so deep inside of her that her bones hurt. He held her body close against his; his arms were wrapped around her as he moved in and out of her. She stifled her cries against his shoulder, biting gently at the network of muscles there. He increased his pace until he felt he was nearing the end.

He stopped suddenly, and pulled himself out of her. She looked up at him, bewildered and wondering why he stopped. He turned her over onto her stomach and divided her legs so that he could position himself between them. She used her knees and elbows for leverage, lifting her hips off of the bed ever so slightly so that he could slide inside of her again.

This time, he plunged inside of her so fast as so hard that she cried out in surprise. She grasped the railings of his headboard and bit her lower lip as he continued to move into her. His hands were at her hips, pulling her onto him; she could feel his fingertips tearing into her skin. He let one hand free and used it to grab ahold of her hair. He made sure he wasn't too rough, though, and her head only jerked back lightly.

He repositioned himself so that he could kiss her mouth, arching his back an using one hand planted on the mattress for leverage. She turned her head to the side as much as she could and kissed him back. She flipped her hair over one shoulder, after he'd released his grip on it, and looked back at him. He moved his hips faster and she had to grab on tightly to the headboard to avoid falling on her face.

The steel headboard had begun crashing against the concrete wall. Objects around the bedroom had begun shaking with the intensity of their actions. But neither of them noticed or they didn't care, because they didn't slow down once. The legs of the bed's frame had begun sliding across the hardwood floor, leaving scratches in their wake.

Reno, supporting his weight only with his legs, reached around with his hands and grabbed Tifa's breasts. She felt herself reach her climax and she screamed half into the pillow beneath her face and half into the air. Reno continued until he reached his own relief; a low, throaty growl escaped from his lips as he lowered his head and heaved against Tifa's back.

Tifa collapsed onto the mattress, unable to hold herself up any longer. Reno's body fell beside hers. He landed on his back with one of his arms bent up around his head and the other draped across his chest. Tifa reached out and touched his sweat slicked skin. The air around them had already begun to cool. She felt goosebumps forming on his skin and she pulled the comforter up around them.

Smiling and satisfied, Tifa moved closer to him until she was right at his side. She slipped one of her long legs between his and slipped her arm across his middle. She nuzzled her face in his neck and kissed him.

"You are amazing." she whispered.

He turned his head so he could look into her eyes. "I could've told you that." he joked.

She pinched the skin on his abdomen. "At least you know how to be modest."

"I'm kidding." he laughed, "You weren't so bad yourself."

It was her turn to laugh. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know." he moved some sweat dampened hair from her face. "What do you want to happen now?"

She paused, thinking for a moment, before she continued with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I could go for round 2."


	14. Changes

CHAPTER 13: Changes

So far, Tifa had been staying with Reno for two weeks at his place, occasionally heading from to her house to pick up some of her stuff. Tifa had quit her job at the Green Dragon and had since found a different workplace at a bar called Seventh Heaven. It was a lot busier than the Dragon had been and Cloud didn't work there so it was great for her. She also got paid way more.

They'd been ignoring their cell phones and pagers, cutting themselves off from the mercenary world. They had discussed leaving the business many times, but were never able to reach a final decision. But the way things had been lately, it seemed like they were well on their way to turning their lives around.

Tseng had been by to visit once and he was incredibly surprised to find that Tifa was pretty much living with Reno. She explained to him that Reno had told her everything and that there were no more secrets between them anymore. Tseng, however, remained suspicious of the whole thing.

Reno watched as Tifa slept soundly in the bed beside him. She was on her stomach; a pillow was tucked up against her body and her face was partially hidden by her hair. He touched her shoulder lightly and she stirred a bit before she began snoring loudly. He laughed to himself and slipped silently from the bed. He grabbed his cell phone from the night table and dialed Rude's number.

"Rude here."

"Yo, Rude." Reno said softly, pacing around his apartment.

"Reno? Where the hell have you been, man? Aaron's pissed! He says he's gonna fire your sorry ass!"

"Tell him he can do it." Reno said.

"What?"

"And while you're at it, tell him you quit, too."

Rude paused. "Why would I wanna do that?"

"Dude... I'm ditching the mercenary thing."

"What?!"

"Shh! Lower your damn voice!"

"Sorry." Rude lowered his voice to almost a whisper, "Why are you gonna do that?"

Reno shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe so I can, uh, you know--change my life around."

"How you gonna do that? Become a priest?"

"Nah. Maybe worse."

"What's worse than that?"

"A husband."

Rude snorted. "You mean, to a wife kind of a husband?"

"Yes!" Reno hissed, "What other kind of husband is there?"

"I didn't think you even had a girlfriend..."

"Well, things change." Reno said after a pause.

Tifa woke up, blinking her eyes as the sunlight hit her face. She groaned and turned onto her side. Reno was laying in the bed next to her, staring at her.

"Good morning." she said, surprised, "What time is it?"

"Almost 10:30." Reno replied softly.

"Why did you let me sleep past 9:00?" She asked, sitting up.

"You looked so peaceful." he said, sitting beside her.

She looked at him. "What's up?"

"Huh?"

"You look like you have something on your mind. What is it?"

"Well, uh..." he chewed on his lower lip, "I've made a decision this morning."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"I decided that... well... that I'm going to stop."

"Stop what...?" she paused, realizing the answer to her own question, "Oh! Really?"

"I didn't come to this decision lightly." Reno said, standing, "But if I'm going to be with you... I'm not going to keep doing this."

Tifa looked up at him as he took her hands in his.

"A--are you sure this is what you want, Reno?"

"I think so." he sighed, "I don't know. I'm worried about something."

"What's that?"

"I got into this biz after I met a guy in a bar." Reno began, "He trained me and taught me everything I know. He got me my start."

"That's funny. Me, too." Tifa said, drawing her brows together.

"Yeah, well, before he got whacked he told me that he wanted someone to carry on his legacy." Reno said, staring ahead, "And I thought that I would be the one to do that for him."

"God, this sounds awfully familiar..." Tifa thought for a moment, "What was his name?"

"Caleb Driscoll." Reno said.

"What did you say?"

"I said Ca--"

"I heard what you said." Tifa interrupted.

"Okay, so wh--"

"Reno!" She sprang to her feet, "Caleb Driscoll trained you?"

"Y--yes... I just said that..."

"Caleb Driscoll? As in the guy that got whacked doing the Francesco Cartellini job?"

"Yeah!" Reno looked at Tifa strangely, "Did you know about him?"

"H--he... he trained me!"

"What?"

"Caleb! Caleb Driscoll!" Tifa cried, her hands shuddering, "Oh, wow! This is... unbelievable."

"It's gotta be a mistake..." Reno shook his head.

"It's _not_!" she insisted, "Reno!" she laughed, "This is so crazy!"

"You're telling me!"

"Wow, it really is a small world, huh?"

"Apparently..." he frowned. "Are you _sure_...?"

"God damn it, Reno!" Tifa slapped her hands down on his shoulders, "Are you ever gonna trust me?"

"I trust you... I guess I just... c--cant believe it."

"Reno. Look at me."

He looked into her eyes. "Yes."

"Do you really want to do this?" she asked.

"What? Stop?"

"Yes."

"Let me finish what I was saying before..."

"Okay."

"Caleb, as you know apparently, wanted someone to carry on his legacy." Reno said, "I thought it would be me, but then I got to thinking. Who would carry on _my_ legacy, you know?"

"Uh-huh."

"And that's when I realized. I don't have anything, Tifa." Reno looked around him, "I don't have anyone with me. I don't have anyone to miss me when I'm gone. I don't have anyone to carry on my name in this world after I leave it."

"Yeah." Tifa looked down sadly, "I've thought that before."

He lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes again. "I don't want to die alone, Tifa."

"Me neither." she whispered.

"So..." he grinned, "Whaddya think?"

"You wanna know what I think?" she smiled.

"Yes."

Tifa kissed him on his lips gently.

"So does that mean...?" he looked to her for an answer.

"It means that I'm done, too, if you are." Tifa said.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure!"

"Think you could live with me?" Reno asked, making a face, "I can be kind of a pain in the ass."

"Well," Tifa shrugged, "I could always kill you if it got too much for me to handle."

"Hey!" he pinched her arm.

They shared a laugh before Reno spoke again.

"So, uh, does this mean that I came out on top?"

"On top of what?" She looked at him curiously.

"On top of the game? Best mercenary alive?"

"Oh, please..." she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay." he sighed, "You were better than me! I admit it!"

"Nah..." Tifa confessed, "_You_ were the better man."

The couple stood in a silent embrace for a moment before Tifa announced that she would be taking a shower. Reno told her he'd be in the kitchen whipping up a breakfast, the first breakfast he'd be sharing with company.

But as she walked to the bathroom, Tifa chuckled to herself. "'The better man'..." she muttered, "What a sucker."

Reno, who had entered the kitchen and begun making breakfast, shook his head and thought to himself _'You were better than me!' Hah! Tifa, you sucker._

END

A/N: Okay, so sorry if the end was short and cheesy and sucked... my creative juices were running low.

But I had fun writing it so I hope you had fun reading it and thank you all for sticking with it :D


End file.
